April 13th, 1913 - November 13th, 2018
Cherokee Memorial is honored to serve the Francis family.
Edna Francis, a German girl, born in Lodi, California, April 13, 1913, “Went to Glory” Tuesday, November 13, 2018. She is survived by her son, Rev. Richard (and Pat) Francis (pastor of Lodi Christian Life), and her daughter, Naomi Fair, wife of the late Rev. Delton Fair (pastor of North Calvary in Fresno, California). She is also survived by 5 grandchildren, 16 great grandchildren, and 4 great great grandchildren. She was predeceased by her husband, Rev. Jesse Francis, parents, Richard and Lydia (Grenz) Nathan, and her 3 siblings, Irene, Henry, and Dan.
In the “roaring 1920’s”, she attended the new First Pentecostal Church along with grocery store owner Julius Rode (later pastor of Revival Center in Modesto, California) and his nephews, the Altnow brothers, owners of the Lodi Truck Service. She left Lodi and worked for a time in San Francisco in the 1930’s. She commuted to work across the bay by ferry, watching the construction of the Bay Bridge. After relocating to Sacramento, helping to establish a new church (now Calvary Evangelism pastored by her grandson, Rev. Troy Fair), she met and married Rev. Jesse Francis. Together they evangelized and pastored in California, Oklahoma, and Arizona. From late 1963 to 1973 they served as pastor of her home church in Lodi (now renamed Lodi Christian Life). In the fall of 1981 she returned to Lodi to serve with her husband assisting their son, Rev. Richard Francis (now pastor since 1973), in the church of her childhood.
She was respected, revered, and loved by many until the day of her passing and will be missed.
Visitation
There will be a visitation on Monday, November 19th, 2018, from 2:00pm to 8:00pm at the Vineyard Chapel in Cherokee Memorial Park, located at 14165 N. Beckman Road, Lodi CA, 95240.
Services
A service will be held on the following day on Tuesday, November 20th, 2018, at 1:00pm and will take place at the Christian Life Center located at 9023 West Ln, Stockton CA, 95210.
The committal to follow will be at Lodi Memorial Cemetery, located at 5750 E Pine St, Lodi, CA 95240.
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