Thomas (Tommie) Joseph Franelich
Tommie
was born December 15, 1900 and
died
from
prostate cancer in a local
hospital July 1, 1981. He was buried in Pine Crest cemetery after
services at St. Joseph's. Tommie was named after his grandfather,
Thomas, and his great-grandfather, Joseph (both on the Franelich side).
He married his longtime girlfriend, Lucille Gust (Parish), January 18, 1968, after her first husband died. My understanding was Tommie couldn't marry her in the Catholic church because she was divorced, he had to wait for her husband to die, and he did.
Tommie always dressed well. He sported a large diamond ring (I have now), went to Mardi Gras balls regularly, and enjoyed a cigar, lit or unlit. I enjoyed his company and always looked at him as this "well dressed guy with the cigar." I can't smoke a cigar today and not think of him.
He had a distinct accent. It was, I imagined, an accent of 1800s Mobilians—a linguistical connection to the past.
Once, when Tommie was visiting us in Birmingham, probably for my sister's wedding, he told me, "My doctor said, ‘if you don't stop drinking bourbon and coke you are going to die,’ so now I only drink bourbon and water."
I stopped by his house once during a workday around 1979 to visit him and Lucille. The conversation moved on to his family, and then, Tommie brought out some old documents that he offered me to keep. I was working for the phone company at the time and got a beep on my pager, so I called in. It was urgent. I said goodbye and forgot to take the documents. Afterward, I felt bad about my forgetfulness: he offered me some historical documents about his family and I just left them. I hope he understood.
Rest in peace Tommie. I'm sure you are well dressed and dancing everyday while enjoying your bourbon and water with a cigar—on the other side.
Here are some pictures.
On a
fishing (Party) trip in the Gulf, standing at right; same trip with
his date, Aleta Doyle; Over the
Bay, far right
seated. A manager for Cabela's in Huntsville, AL., saw this picture on
the Franelich Collection at
Alabama Department of Archives and History's web site and asked
permission to reproduce and hang it in his store. I was proud
to agree.
He lived at 753 Kentucky Street in 1941 along with his sister Edwina and brother Henry.