Dewayne “Preacher” Franklin, 89, of Paducah passed away at 4:10 AM on Friday, August 16, 2024 at Providence Pointe Nursing Home in Paducah. He was born and raised in Marshall County. He was the son of the late Edgar Franklin and Lola Novalee Reed. He was a lifetime member of Local Lodge 1969 of The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers Union; a retiree of the Pennwalt Corporation (now Arkema). He retired in 1990 after 35 years of service to enter church ministry full time; he was a pastor for 65 years; he was a Kentucky Colonel. He attended the old Bethel College in Hopkinsville; Paducah Junior College; Murray State University and graduated from The Program of Alternative Studies at Memphis Theology Seminary. He was pastor of the Third Street Baptist Chapel (a mission of Immanuel Baptist Church) while a Senior in Sharpe High School. During the 1950’s he was the youngest preacher in the area having surrendered to the ministry at the age of 15. This opened many doors for him and he had to find someone to drive him to his preaching appointments until he received his driver license. During the years that lay ahead he would earn the title of “preacher” because he would walk two miles to preach a sermon and was the pastor of churches in ten counties in Kentucky (McCracken, Hickman, Marshall, Graves, Calloway, Caldwell, Webster, Chrisitan, McLean and Crittenden). He also pastored churches in Tennessee where he was Director of Missions at Grace Baptist Church in Springfield and served as Associate to the pastor. He was the pastor of First Baptist Church in Norris City, Illinois as well as preaching in Alabama for several years. He retired from pastoring the Wice Memorial Baptist Church in 2015. After his retirement from pastoring churches he did supply for fellow pastors when needed and joined the Friendship Baptist Church in Lone Oak.
He is survived by two daughters, Melanie Collins of Austin, TX; Cynthia Diana Carter and her husband Jerry of Paducah; one son, Mark Franklin and his wife Jewel of Martin, TN; seven grandchildren; 5 great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Edgar Franklin and Novalee (Reed) Nimmo; his wife of 42 years, Martha Ann Anderson.
Funeral services will begin at 1:00 PM on Wednesday, August 21, 2024 at Hughes Funeral Home in Paducah with Mark Franklin officiating. Burial will follow at Provine Cemetery in Marshall County.
Visitation will be held from 11:00 AM until the funeral hour of 1:00 PM on Wednesday, August 21, 2024 at the funeral home.
In lieu of flowers the family requests donations be made to The Gideons International, Paducah South Camp, P.O. Box 3232, Paducah, KY 42002-3232 or a charity of your choice.
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Hughes Funeral Home of Paducah is in charge of arrangements.
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