Harold Franklin

Harold Jay Franklin, 89, passed away September 29, 2024, in Delta, Colorado. He was born to Virgil H. and Leola M. (Pummill) Franklin in Delta, Colorado on July 25, 1935. Harold spent the first few years of life at Pea Green, Colorado before moving to Delta where he began his formal education.

Harold grew up in a Christian home with his older brother, Thomas H. Franklin until “Tommy” was killed in a tragic accident in 1945 making him an only child for the rest of his life. Graduating from Delta High School in 1953, he continued his education by attended Bethany Nazarene College in Bethany, Oklahoma where he earned his Bachelor’s degree in Religion in 1957. After spending another year at Bethany taking graduate level classes, he began his ministerial career in Weldona, Colorado as an ordained pastor in the Church of the Nazarene.

While at Weldona, Harold met and married Opal Jean Young at Fort Morgan (Colorado) Church of the Nazarene. After three years, Harold moved his young family, which now included an infant son, Kenneth M. Franklin to Oklahoma where he pastored several Nazarene Churches in Northwestern Oklahoma, which includes Camp Creek, Shattuck, Beaver, and Cedar Springs.

As he pastored small churches in Oklahoma, his family grew to include two sons, Ronald D. Franklin, and Donald L. Franklin; and two daughters, Cynthia J. Franklin, and Susan E. Franklin. He was once heard to say during a church emphasis campaign “Strive For Five” that he achieved that goal by having that many offspring.

After the passing of his father, Harold moved his family back to Delta to care for his aging mother. While in Delta, he supplied many churches over the years as the church searched for a new pastor. Having learned to install floor covering to help the budget and care for his family while at Beaver, Oklahoma, he began selling and installing carpet around the Delta area before opening “Franklin Carpet.” Upon selling the floor covering business, Harold semi-retired, but he continued to fill in various churches for pastors on vacation or moving, leaving the church without a permanent pastor, while they searched for one.

Beginning in the mid-1970s, Harold and his wife Jean went on several Work and Witness trips to other parts of the world to help build churches and other buildings. He went on at least two trips to the Holy Land, including Jerusalem and Bethlehem, where he helped build churches while touring the area. Later he would make over 100 trips to Guatemala, over 20 to Belize and several other countries either on a Work and Witness team or as an unofficial courier, transporting hymnals, guitars, accordions, cake mixes peanut butter and other items to help the missionaries and churches in those countries.

One of Harold’s greatest joys was being able to preach the Gospel of Christ to the people in Guatemala, sometimes using an interpreter but a few times in his own Spanish. Harold and Jean sponsored a missionary’s child for many years. For several of those years, they would pack a couple of frozen turkeys in a suitcase and travel to Guatemala where they would drive several more hours to spend Thanksgiving dinner with this young girl and her missionary family.

Most mornings would find Harold reading the Bible and a devotional in his chair and then on his knees in prayer for his family, the church, and others. Age and circumstances eventually caught up with Harold and he was not able to support the churches and missionaries on the mission field, as he loved to do. Later he lost his wife shortly after celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary in 2009.

Harold is proceeded in death by his parents, Virgil H. and Leola M. Franklin; wife, O. Jean Franklin; son, Kenneth M. Franklin; infant sister, Betty E. Franklin; brother, Thomas H. Franklin; daughter-in-law, Anna M. Franklin; and great-grandson, Alexander M. Reeder.

He will be remembered lovingly by his surviving family; two sons, Ronald D. Franklin of Wagner, South Carolina and Donald L. Franklin of Tahlequah, Oklahoma; two daughters, Cynthia J. (Greg) Lehr of Montrose, Colorado, and Susan E. (Kenneth) Adleman of Fruita, Colorado. He is also survived by eight grandchildren, Dakie Reeder of Tahlequah, Oklahoma; Kristin Lehr and fiancé, Jake Kelly of Fresno, California; Evan Lehr of Grand Junction, Colorado; Alyssa Lehr of Grand Junction, Colorado; Shane Adleman of Dallas, Texas; Steven (Michaela) Adleman of Grand Junction, Colorado; Scott (Katrina) Adleman of Grand Junction, Colorado; and Spencer (Elizabeth) of Grand Junction, Colorado; as well as eight great-grandchildren.

Funeral services will be held on Monday, October 7, 2024, at 10 a.m. at the Taylor Funeral Service in Delta, Colorado. Burial will follow at Delta City Cemetery.