 Submitted photos/SDN Above, Jack “Po Boy” Franklin, 72, seated, center, surrounded by some of his family members, worked two full-time jobs for 25 years, putting in 18-hour days so his children would have the opportunity to go to college. By KELLY DANIELS
Starkville Daily News
For 25 years, he worked two full-time jobs and slept five hours a night.
A life long Oktibbeha County homesteader, Jack "Po Boy" Franklin, 72, began his working career at early age by milking cows and farming.
After graduating from Rockhill High School in 1957, he immediately began working full time.
That same year on a Saturday, he proposed to Gloria J. Mason and married her that night. They had four children — Alvin, Beverly, Shirley and Stephanie —, and have been married 51 years. Gloria also worked full time.
"I just wanted my kids to have the chance to go to college," said Franklin explaining the reason he worked 18-hour days.
Franklin was stricken with ankle instability as a result of polio as a child, but that didn't stop him from working in construction for Van Landingham Lumber Co.from 7 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. every day.
Neither did it stop him from working as a custodian at Mississippi State University from 5 p.m. until 2 a.m. every day.
Tony Miles, who now owns Miles Construction, worked with Franklin on projects by Van Landingham.
"He always showed up on time and never complained," he said. "He never wanted to leave early like a lot of other workers you see."
Shirley Franklin says he never complained about getting up to go to work.
"You would never know he was exhausted," she said.
"Well, I would get about an hour of rest when I worked in construction," said Franklin, who kept dollar bills in his pocket to keep him motivated.
"A lot of people I worked with wasted their check on the weekend and they'd come in late or not come in at all," said Franklin. "They didn't have that money in their pocket as a reason to keep on."
Franklin, who also worked for Charles Rutherford Farm, G.E. Bass Construction and Tony Miles Construction, sometimes worked on weekends as well and worked on several projects for companies and landowners on the side.
Franklin never sat down until December 2007 when he began to have serious health problems.
"I was real squirmy when I was little," he said. "I always had to be doing something."
In fact, Shirley says, he only took off work when he was very sick.
"I was always able to get up when I heard him up at 5 a.m. and I knew it was a good day," she said.
Fridays were also a good day for Shirley.
"I remember every Friday when he would get his check and divide it up for the bills and my mom," she continued tearfully.
"And he would still come home with a treat for us."
Shirley, who earned a degree in elementary education, also works two full time jobs.
During the day, she teaches at French Camp, and at night she oversees operations at the Little Dooey, where she is manager.
Franklin's daughter, Stephanie, went to college and earned a fitness management degree and his son, Alvin, is an insurance agent for New York Life.
"I told my children that if they didn't go to college, they had to work," he said.
That's just what his daughter, Beverly did three days after graduating from high school.
"She graduated on a Friday and on Monday she applied to work at McDonald's," said Franklin. Beverly is now manager of the same McDonald's where she applied.
Shirley remembers with with fondness growing up in the Rockhill neighborhood with family members living in adjacent houses.
"They shared the load with taking care of us," she said. "We were never uncared for."
"We never had a lot, but we always had a home," said Shirley. "And we never wanted anything."
More fondly, especially on Father's Day, she remembers the gift of an education brought about by her father's long hard labor.
"I'm thankful every day," she said.
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