Louis Alvin Franklin of Whitewright, Texas passed away at the Veteran's Hospital in Dallas, August 1, 2009 at the age of 86. He was born in Windom, Texas on January 15, 1923. He graduated from Bells High School in 1942. He married Louise Lorraine Genthe on February 21, 1942 in Bells, Texas and they were married for 67 years. He entered the U.S. Army on April 4, 1945 and was honorably discharged on October 30, 1946 after serving in Japan. He was a member of Bethel Baptist Church in Whitewright. He was a very well known Fiddler and won the title of World Champion in Crockett, Texas seven times as well as hundreds of other Fiddle contests. Upon returning from the Army he performed for several years in Texas and Oklahoma with various groups that included Eddie Miller and the Oklahomans. He also performed regularly then on KRRV radio station in Sherman. He was inducted into the Texas Fiddlers Hall of Fame in 1990 and was an original founding member of the Texas Old Time Fiddler's Assn. Board of Directors. He served for 10 years on the Whitewright School Board. In 1978, he was honored by the Whitewright Chamber of Commerce as Farmer of the Year and retired from farming in 1991. He was preceded in death by his wife, Louise; his mother Amy; his father Jess; infant daughter, Linda Carol; sister Jewel Garner; sister Gussie Bradshaw; sister Marydean Lawhon and sister Mattie McBroom. He is survived by daughter, Donna Latimer of Denison; daughter, Anna Holcomb and husband Harold of Ft. Worth; daughter Debbie Andrew of Garland; son, Larry and wife Donna of Nashville, TN; son, Kenneth and wife Vicky of Whitewright; 10 grandchildren: Robin Bradshaw, Mike Latimer, Russell Latimer, Cynthia Wilson, John Holcomb, Cassie Franklin, Tara Cutler, Kendra Franklin, Jason Andrew, Jill Andrew and 13 great-grandchildren. Funeral services will be held at 2:00pm Tuesday, August 4th at Bethel Baptist Church in Whitewright, Texas. Officiating the service will be Rev. Randy McBroom and Rev. Phillip Smith. Burial will follow at Oak Hill Cemetery in Whitewright, Texas. Pallbearers will be grandsons, Mike Latimer, Russell Latimer, John Holcomb, Jason Andrew, Perry Bradshaw and great-grandson Aaron Wilson. The family will receive friends at Bethel Baptist Church from 1:00pm until service time. Memorials may be made to The Louis Franklin Memorial Fund for the Whitewright Fiddle Fest, c/o Independent Bank Whitewright, P.O. Box 368, Whitewright, TX 75491.