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A Tribute to Rev. Franklin Haire Oct. 26,1924 - Aug. 29, 1998 |
Franklin Haire was
born to Carmel and Laura Haire farm north of Leitchfield. Carmel Haire worked at the Grayson County
Supply Company and Laura Haire, in the early years of their marriage, was 
housewife and mother to five children.
Later in the marriage, she ran a boarding house and a small diner that
was a converted trolley car.
Franklin Haire left Leitchfield after graduation to join the Navy.
Because of a heart condition, he was given an honorable medical discharge. After working a few odd jobs in Leitchfield,
he moved to New Orleans, where he attended the Baptist Seminary. During
seminary, he served as camp pastor of Camp Salmon, a Boy Scout camp in Slidell,
LA. After graduation, he went to
Mississippi College to finish his degree work.
He continued with his education until he had a master's degree in
Education, School Administration and English.
He had 30+ hours toward his doctorate in education.
During his college
years, Rev. Haire met and married Nell Yarborough of Tylertown, MS. They were married for 53 years. While in
college, their first child, Truett, was born.
Rev Haire preached part-time in Franklin County, MS, during his college
years and after graduation he was called full-time to preach there. He spent
his entire ministry in Franklin County, preaching in several churches and
teaching high school and college. He
became the director of the first and only private school in Franklin County,
Franklin Academy in Roxie, MS. He, upon retirement, was pastor of Providence
Baptist Church and guidance counselor at Franklin High School. He pastored Providence Baptist Church for 33
years.
Rev. and Mrs.
Haire had six children, 3 boys and 3 girls.
They have 9 grandchildren and six great-grandchildren. Most of the children live in the
south, except for one daughter, Nan Maxwell, who lives in California.
Their other children are Cela Diefenbach, Baton Rouge, LA, Alan
Rev. Haire touched many lives during his ministry. He was dedicated to education for all, not only in basic education, but educating those he came in contact with to the love of Christ and how these people could become Christians. His life was an example of that love. All who knew him sorely miss him!
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The Haire Family in 1995 |
The Love of a Grandfather and the Smell of Juicy Fruit Gum
By:
Angela Haire
A grandfather's love can be measured in
many ways. Some grandfathers tell
exciting bedtime stories, some spoil their grandchildren rotten and others hug
their grandchildren so tight that they feel like they are going to pop. But for one particular girl, the smell of
Juicy Fruit gum fills her heart with the deepest love a grandchild could know.
Her earliest recollection of that
great man was running toward him after church trying to beat all of the other
kids to get his first piece of Juicy Fruit gum. Her granddaddy, the Rev. Franklin Haire, pastor of Providence
Baptist Church for over 30 years in Meadville, MS, stood at the entrance with a
warm smile after each service, one hand holding a pack of gum and the other
patting each of the kids' heads as they left the church. Sometimes, he would have more gum dm
children. Boy, would the faces light up
when they got two sticks of gum, instead of their usual one.
After she got her piece of gum and stuffed it inn her mouth before
her parents found it, she would stand with him as he greeted his parishioners,
pulling on his pants leg, ready to go eat lunch. She knew that there was a feast, prepared by her grandmother's
hands, waiting on the table.
As she grew
older, she saw how many lives he touched, not only through his ministry but
also through his angelic tenor voice.
He loved to sing Baptist hymns, and he would always sing the offbeat
verses, the verses that only the men sang.
And no matter how loudly those men sang, his voice always rang out
louder than the rest. That beautiful
sound was such a comfort to her, one he'll never know.
He was an
omnipresent figure in her life-attending school plays, art award ceremonies and
graduations. Some grandparents were too
old or too sick to attend special occasions, but he was always there.
She
remembers her sixth grade graduation.
He had recently had surgery on his right eye, but he was sitting there
as always, his eye completely covered in thick, white gauze. Her heart, once again, overflowed with pride
and love as her granddaddy stood when she received her diploma.
The years
passed, and she grew to be a young lady.
As life got busy, family visit were few and far between. Of course, they had Christmas and their
annual reunion on the Fourth of July.
But before she knew it, she was college-her first taste of real life.
It was
during this stage of her life, more than any other that she yearned to develop
a special relationship with her granddaddy.
He bought a computer and they e-mailed regularly. If she was having a bad day, an encouraging
note would pop up on the screen. He
always knew how to make life's dark clouds disappear-until one day; a cloud
filled with angels came to take him home to the Lord. Her heart was very heavy, and she did not understand. "He is only 74," she thought to
herself. "It can't be his time to
go.”
My world
was changed forever on August 29, 1998, because I lost the only grandfather I
ever knew. I was the small child that
tugged on his pants, ready to eat lunch.
I was the child that heard his voice and knew that everything would be
all right. And I was the child whose
eyes well up with tears every time I smell a piece of Juicy Fruit gum.
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