Francis

Joe Francis, native of Beckham County, went to be with our Lord on August 18. Joe was born December 20, 1931, in his parents’ home in Texola to Earl and Sybil Francis where Earl was serving as an accomplished Banker and County Commissioner. The family moved to Sayre a few years later where Earl was elected to serve 4 terms as County Sheriff. Joe spent a few years of his early life at the County Jail where his family made residence and care taking for inmates.

At the age of 17, Joe moved with his family to the Texas Plains to G. W. Francis’ (Joe’s grandfather) 6 section wheat farm, which was between Spearman and Gruver. Joe was the key instrument in running that farm, even while he went to college at Panhandle State in Goodwell, OK. When he finished his degree in Animal Husbandry, he was called to serve in the Army, barely missing the armed conflict in Korea. In 1955, Joe moved to Borger where he began a very successful 33-year career with Phillips 66, all in the Borger area.

On February 7, 1959, Joe married Karen L. Oren in a double wedding ceremony with his brother, Jack Francis and Irvalynn Baker (Karen’s Cousin) at the First Baptist Church in Erick. Joe had two sons with Karen, Anville Francis, now in Edmond, OK and Dexter Francis, now in Granbury, Texas. Anville gave Joe 5 grandsons (Ashton, Trace, Westin, Wyatt, & Zane) while Dexter gave Joe 3 more grandsons (Colten, Westley & Dylan). Joe was the model husband, provider, father, coach and cheerleader for his family. He spent countless hours training his boys to be hard workers, students, sportsmen, and baseball players. He later stepped up into the family patriarch role for the larger family showing sons and grandsons how to farm, hunt, fish and most importantly how to pray. Joe provided an urban lifestyle for his family in Borger as he advanced his career with Phillips Petroleum. Joe never left his rural roots as he took his family back to Erick regularly on weekends and holidays to help the families there with farming and ranching operations. After a long career, Joe and his wife, Karen, moved back to Erick to start a retirement life in 1987 near their birthplace.

Joe was preceded in death by his parents, Earl and Sybil Francis of Erick, grandparents G. W. (George) Francis & Della (Goff) Francis and Ed & Nettie “Tubby” Wilson of Erick, and sister & brother in-law, Kara Neil & Marvin Costner of Guymon and brother, Jack T. Francis of Bedford, TX.

Joe is survived by his wife of 64 years, Karen Francis of Erick, sons Anville Francis of Edmond, Dexter Francis of Granbury, Tx., 8 grandsons, nieces, Sheri Johnson of Surprise, Az., Debbie Mikles of Turpin, Ok., and cousins Joyce Copeland of Cordell and Bob Ed Wilson of Erick.

Visitation and viewing will be at Affordable Cremation in Sayre at 6:30 PM, Friday, August 25. Celebration of life will be held at the Erick Cemetery on August 26 at 10:00, under direction of Affordable Cremation Service