Franklin Ruffin

Mr. Franklin Ruffin, 72 departed his journey with us on January 31, 2018.  He was born on October 5, 1945 to Reverend Jimmie and Minnie Ruffin of Lisman, Alabama.  He was number thirteen of fifteen children.  He resided in Lisman, Alabama, where he was a member of The Greater First Baptist Church where he confessed Christ as his Lord and Savior and was baptized at an early age.  Franklin left home with his parents and married in 1969 to Pauline Howard of Mayo, Florida and started his own family and legacy with twelve children.

 Mr. Frank was well known and famous for his gardens that he would plant in a heartbeat and would be plentiful like nothing you had ever seen.  He would always say I got to get to my garden, the people gone need some greens. We would say daddy you getting to old. He would always say “Oh I feel good”, it will take an elephant to take oh Frankie boy down from his garden.  He loved to work on his cars and always had to have the last say on how fast they would run.  He worked hard all his life and was a great provider for his family.  He lived an extraordinary life span here on his journey.  He fought hard, gave it his all and rededicated his life to Christ.  He fought a good fight of faith, he truly was a great “warrior” his last year of life.

 Franklin was preceded in death by his father, Rev. Jimmie Ruffin, his mother Minnie Ruffin, five (5) brothers:  Vergil Lee Ruffin, George Ruffin, Jessie Ruffin, Willie Ruffin, James Charles Ruffin; three (3) sisters:  Lily Mae Ruffin, Lula Ruffin and Mammie Ruth Bush; a set of twins, Franklin, Jr. and Jennifer Ruffin, and a son, Richard Bush, Jr. He also leaves behind but not alone, three (3) sisters:  Jannie (W.J.) Williams, Minnie (Robert) Boykin and Clozell (Jack) Tucker.

 He leaves in his loving memory to carry on his legacy nine (9) children:  Patricia (Steve) Rainey, Polly Bush, Linda Faye Smith, Conzonia Mincey (Edwin), Roxie Godfrey, Cynthia Ruffin, Darron Ruffin, Contrillio (Alexander) Cade and Sabrina (Frederick) Acklin.   He leaves a former son-in-law; Steven Mincey, seventeen (17) grandchildren, fifteen (15) great grandchildren, a host of nephews and nieces.