Julia Mac Franklin Conner, age 95 of Mt. Vernon. died Friday, February 20. 2009 in the Bethany Nursing Home after a brief illness. Memorial services will be held Saturday, February 28. 2009 at 2:00 p. m. at the Mt. Vernon United Methodist Church in Mt. Vernon with Reverend Dennis Lanning officiating. Visitation will be in the church rehearsal hall from 1 :00 p. m. to 2:00 p. m. A private family graveside service will follow the services at the Mt. Veron Cemetery. Mrs. Conner was born August 19, 1913 in Eastman. Dodge County, Georgia. the only daughter of five children of the late Judge Oscar Jason Franklin and Rosa Clyde Rawlins Franklin. She had resided in Mt. Vernon since 1935 when she became the wife of the late Benjamin Arrcn Conner, Jr. She was also predeceased by a daughter, Dorothy Jane, age eleven in 1956, a son-in-law, Donald L. Cole, Sr.; of Dalton; four brothers. Oscar Clyde Franklin, Russell Dean Franklin, Sr., of Eastman; Barney Marshall Franklin, Sr.. of Jacksonville. Florida and Charles Rupert Franklin, Sr., of Livingston, Texas. Mrs. Conner graduated from Eastman High School, attended Georgia State College for Women in Milledgeville and the University of Georgia where she majored in journalism and was a member of the Kappa Delta sorority. For years she was a homemaker raising seven children, doing civic and church work. and in the early fifties she wrote a column for the Macon Telegraph and contributed several articles for the Atlanta Journal/Constitution Magazine. Mrs. Conner was widely known for her culinary expertise and made and sold her delicious homemade cakes in Mt. Vernon and Ailey. In 1963 Mrs. Conner began her first job with the Montgomery County Department of Welfare as a social worker. When her husband died from a car accident in 1967 and with no previous business experience she took over the management of the Ben Conner Dairy Farm with extraordinary results. While managing the dairy she was also serving as the Executive Director of the Montgomery County Housing Authority where she continued to serve for over twenty years, beginning in 1965 and retiring in 1987. She sold the dairy in 1974. Mrs. Conner was a member and served as Regent of the General Richard Montgomery Chapter of National Society Daughters of the American Colonist (DAC). She was a member of the Mt. Vernon Garden Club and their first cookbook was published in 1951 when she was president. She loved gardening and won many awards for her creative designs in flower arranging. She was presented a Life Membership in the Garden Club of Georgia by the club members in 1994. For over seventy years she was a member of the Mt. Vernon bridge club and continued to play exceptional bridge until a few weeks before her death. Mrs. Conner was a former longtime active member of the Mt. Vernon Baptist Church but in her later years she returned to the denomination of her youth and joined the Ailey Methodist Church. As the only sister of four brothers she grew up climbing the highest trees and diving from the highest towers at Jay Bird Springs but gradually put aside her tomboyish ways and became a beautiful and accomplished young lady. Never in a hurry, Mrs. Conner began collecting turtles as they represented a slow pace in a fastpace world. Her family delighted in discovering new turtles to give her on any occasion. Her grandchildren and great-grandchildren affectionately knew Mrs. Conner as "Me-Mommie" and her children knew her as the ultimate example of motherhood. She will be remembered by everyone who knew her as a sweet. kind and gentle Christian lady who passionately loved her family and friends. She faced life's challenges and tragedies by her faith in God and through courage and determination. Mrs. Conner is survived by her two daughters and a son-in-law; four sons and daughters-in-law; thirteen grandchildren and spouses; seventeen great-grandchildren and six step-great-grandchildren, a host of loving nieces and nephews. two sisters-in-law. In lieu of flowers the family requests that memorial contributions be made to the Julia Mac Franklin Conner Memorial Garden. % Mt. Vernon Garden Club, PO. Box 153. Mt. Vernon. Georgia., 30445. Stewart Funeral Service of Vidalia was in charge of arrangements.