Nancy Franklin, 78, of Selma, died Monday, January 9, 2017 at Mercy Hospital in Iowa City. Funeral services will be held privately. Should friends desire memorial contributions may be made to the family.

Nancy Lee Franklin was born September 27, 1938 in Iowa City, Iowa, the daughter of Harold and Welma Scott King. She attended Van Buren Community Schools and at age fourteen was united in marriage to Richard Franklin. Shortly after becoming a mother at age fifteen Nancy began her working career in local factories, restaurants and grocery stores but eventually became a supervisor of the county care facility. As the matriarch of her family she never under estimated the importance of all the heart to heart talks she had at her kitchen table with children and grandchildren. Nancy was the gatekeeper of her redneck filing system simply known as "the box". Any and all important documents from banking statements to birthday cards were keep safe in the box. Mysteriously once it was filed in the box Nancy was the only person who could find it. She enjoyed playing bingo and was known to gamble from time to time, however scratchies were by far her favorite. Nancy clearly understood the importance of family. This is why she taught her family that no family is perfect, and reminded them to stand by each other even in rough times. She also believed strongly in kindness and taught her family to have enough courage to treat everyone with kindness.


Nancy was preceded in death by her parents; two sons, Danny and Richard Franklin; a great- grandson, Derek Ball; a sister, Donna Wilcoxson; two brothers, Richard King and Robert Canaday and a son-in-law, Randy Bliefert.

She is survived by two daughters, Christie (Slate) Sweat of Freemont and Teresa Bliefert of Kahoka, MO; a son Kenneth Franklin of Douds, three sisters, Sue (Ron) Fischer of Fairfield, Marcia Kelly of Keosauqua, Judy McCarthy of Colorado; two brothers, William (Kathy) Canaday and Michael (Teresa) Canaday of Stockport; a daughters-in-law, Ramona Franklin of Keosauqua and Michelle Mize of Knoxville, TN. Nancy also leaves behind eighteen grandchildren, nineteen great grandchildren and four great-great grandchildren with one on the way.