Mary Elizabeth Franklin

Mary “Betsy” Elizabeth Franklin was born on October 5, 1939, in Tulsa, Oklahoma. She was the daughter of Willis Holland Mook and Margarett Elizabeth Mook. She was united in holy matrimony to Samuel Harry Franklin, her high school sweetheart, and they were fortunate enough to spend 55 years together until his death in 2016. This union was blessed with three daughters, Julie, Jennie, and Janet. She departed this life on Monday, April 24, 2017, at her home in Tulsa. She was preceded in death by her husband, Samuel H. Franklin; her father, Willis Holland Mook; her mother, Margarett Elizabeth Mook; and her two brothers, Ronald Mook and Arnold Mook. From a very young age, Betsy loved to dance. She spent hours on her toes, and had many memories made dancing at the Jasinski Studio. She met her future husband, Samuel “Sam” Harry Franklin while attending high school at Central High School. They were separated for a short time during their college years until Sam transferred from the University of Washington to the University of Oklahoma in order to be with Betsy. From that moment on, Sam and Betsy spent almost every single day together. Betsy graduated from the University of Oklahoma and taught art until in 1971 when they decided to purchase a plot of land in Broken Arrow to house their business, Samson Scales. They were a dynamic duo and designed, manufactured, and sold scales all over the world. Sam was the engineer, and Betsy was the mastermind behind it all. Their business later expanded to include commercial real estate. Family was very important to Sam and Betsy. Their lives revolved around their three daughters until their respective deaths. Many family vacations were spent together from the tops of mountains to the sandy beaches of Padre Island, one of Betsy’s favorite places to visit. Memories of Louie’s Backyard, Miramar, and the Brownsville Airport will forever live on in the memories of their daughters. There was rarely a time she was not reading. She would read 4 to 5 books a week, this instilled a love of reading in her grandchildren. In their later years, Sam and Betsy cherished days at their lake house on Grand Lake with their children and grandchildren. Betsy (aka MiMi or Bessy) was an amazing grandmother. Every holiday was celebrated with great enthusiasm. There was never a stocking not filled or an Easter basket not stuffed. Betsy did everything big. She loved to attend her grandchildren’s events; it was the highlight of her life. While her health allowed her, she was at every sporting event, play, concert, cheer competition and dance recital. She was blessed to see five of her grandchildren graduate from high school, two graduate from college, and one enlist in the Army. She will surely watch the rest from heaven if she has any say in the matter. Betsy’s amazing life will forever be cherished in the lives of her children; Julie Maurine Harris of Pottsboro, Texas, Jennie Louise Pearce of Tulsa, Oklahoma, Janet Marie Neal, of Jenks, Oklahoma, son-in-laws; David Hamilton Harris, Richard Gregory Pearce, and Michael Sherrod Neal, eight grandchildren; Richard Samuel Pearce and his wife Presley Pearce, Travis Gregory Pearce, Noah Hamilton Harris, Ethan Holland Harris, Michael Zachary Neal, Zoe Elizabeth Neal, Ruby Louise Harris, and Mai Marie Harris. We all find peace in the fact that Sam and Betsy are together again and with our Lord and Savior. Donations in lieu of flowers may be made to the Tulsa Library Trust. Fitzgerald Southwood Colonial Chapel, 918-291-3500

Mary Elizabeth Franklin

October 5, 1939 - April 24, 2017