By Donna Traywick

Mt. Olivet News

Once again, I am dedicating my column to a dear and precious friend, Veedy Kennedy Franklin. Veedy was the twin sister to Beedy Kennedy Anderson. Twin sisters married cousins. Beedy to Jesse Bates (J.B.) Anderson and Veedy to Richard Woodrow (Woody) Franklin.

Beedy and J.B. Anderson had two sons, Bobby and Kenny Anderson. Unfortunately, Beedy lost her life to leukemia at the young age of thirty-nine. Both were beauticians and owned their own beauty shops.

I met Veedy when I was about eight years old. She and Woody rented an apartment from my piano teacher, Mrs. Lois Marberry. When she was expecting their first child, she came over to Miss Lois Music studio and listened to us play the piano, while Woody was at work. I had a friend who also took lessons at that time, named Virgie Leigh. One day she told us that if she had a little girl she was going to name her Donna Leigh.

Her baby was a girl and I feel honored that she named the baby after me. Donna took lessons from Miss Lois also, and even learned to play at church, and she worked in Banking business.

Veedy and Woody were blessed with five wonderful children. Richard Paul (Bud) Franklin, the only boy in the group, grew up to follow in his Father’s footsteps and become Sunday school superintendent at Mt. Olivet Methodist Church. He was a policeman on the Ole Miss campus.

Sheila Franklin married Tony Ragon and she was a medical Supervisor over several medical clinics. Cheryl Franklin retired from the military as a registered nurse teacher at Northwest School of nursing. She is married to Richard (Ritch) Elkins.

Unfortunately, Tammy, the baby of the family is somewhat challenged and is a resident of the Regional Center in Oxford. Each child is like my own and I have even taught some of the grandchildren and great grands piano.

You can only imagine the topic of our conversation the two or three times that we called each other during the day. It wouldn’t have felt right if we hadn’t talked. She was an excellent cook and I would call her up when I had a question about how to cook a certain food. No matter how hard I tried, It never turned out like hers. Her kitchen and whole house strayed picture perfect at all times. I always told everyone that Veedy was the only person that I knew, who had carpet in her kitchen and kept it looking new.

Even after she was up in years and really was not supposed to be driving, she and I would go to Sonic and always order a corn dog and share an order of onion rings. We enjoyed going to discount stores, Goodwill and even Sacred Heart Discount store in Hernando. Her children, as well as mine, did not know that we had rambled that far from home.

Of all that joy that Veedy had in her life, she had some sadness, also. She lost a granddaughter Tifani DeMaria and grandson Shance Lawrence and eight siblings. She also lost Mr. Woody as well as her parents.

She leaves a great legacy in her five children, eight grandchildren, thirteen great grandchildren, and ten great- great grandchildren.

Veedy, I’m gonna miss you!

Get in touch with me at donnatraywickmusic@gmail.com