Mitzi Hall
Francis
Francis
About the Book
Child of Appalachia
ISBN 978-1-935271-94-9
6.14x9.21, 254 pages, $14.95
Child of Appalachia tells the story of Mitzi Hall Francis: her early
years in Cumberland, Kentucky, her journey through Florida to
Oak Ridge, Tennessee, and her eventual purchase and restoration
of her family homeplace - The Worley Homestead Inn in
Dahlonega, Georgia. It also includes family photographs and
stories, and the memoirs of her mother, Augusta Victoria Kerr
Hall.
BUY NOW
And coming soon...
Murder in New Mexico
BUY NOW
Child of Appalachia
ISBN 978-1-935271-94-9
6.14x9.21, 254 pages, $14.95
Child of Appalachia tells the story of Mitzi Hall Francis: her early
years in Cumberland, Kentucky, her journey through Florida to
Oak Ridge, Tennessee, and her eventual purchase and restoration
of her family homeplace - The Worley Homestead Inn in
Dahlonega, Georgia. It also includes family photographs and
stories, and the memoirs of her mother, Augusta Victoria Kerr
Hall.
BUY NOW
And coming soon...
Murder in New Mexico
BUY NOW
About the Author
I was born in Cumberland, Kentucky, December 1st, 1933. I lived there until I was nine
years old. My mother, brother and I moved to St. Petersburg, Florida while my father lived
in a dormitory in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. He was working there and waiting for his name to
come up on a housing list. When it finally did we moved to Oak Ridge and lived into a little
flattop house at 263 East Drive.
I have wonderful memories of Oak Ridge and lived there from the time I was 10 years old
until I graduated from high school. We moved to Lenoir city, Tennessee that summer. I
went to college at Tennessee Tech in Cookeville, Tennessee, and met my future husband,
Phillip Meyrick Francis, who is from LaFollette, Tennessee, while I was there. When he
graduated and went into the Army as a 2nd Lieutenant, I went with him as his bride. We
lived all over the world, having five children along the way.
We have three sons and identical twin daughters. The last child was born in Turkey, where
we lived for 2 years. Our tours of duty also included Alaska, New Jersey, New Mexico,
Georgia, Virginia and Kansas. My husband served in Korea and Viet Nam. When we lived in
Virginia Beach, Virginia I wanted to help with the family expenses. At that time we had four
teenagers and a 3 year old. I chose a career selling real estate, thinking I would have more
flexible hours than an 8-5 job. I didn’t know then about all the weekends and evenings I
would have to work! But we all managed someway and I worked in this field for 15 years,
earning my Broker’s license there.
We moved to Naples, Florida in 1979 with our youngest child who was 12 years old. All the
other children were married and living lives of their own. I thought I had retired from real
estate but our oldest son was accepted into medical school and I knew he would need our
help financially. So I earned my Florida real estate license and started all over again. I sold
real estate in Naples for ten years.
During this period we bought my great-grandparents 1845 home in Dahlonega, Georgia. It
was a huge challenge to restore it and I spent many hours driving up and down I-75 trying
to oversee this project while still selling real estate in Naples. We opened it as a Bed and
Breakfast Inn in 1984 and tried hard for 10 years to hang on to it but everybody was making
money there but us. We had to either sell it or move there and run it. We chose to sell it but
it broke my heart. The Worley Homestead Inn is alive and well today.
My husband and I have been married for 58 years. We spend most of our time in Naples,
Florida, with our two kitties. We have eight grandchildren and six great-grandchildren. Life
is good!
I was born in Cumberland, Kentucky, December 1st, 1933. I lived there until I was nine
years old. My mother, brother and I moved to St. Petersburg, Florida while my father lived
in a dormitory in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. He was working there and waiting for his name to
come up on a housing list. When it finally did we moved to Oak Ridge and lived into a little
flattop house at 263 East Drive.
I have wonderful memories of Oak Ridge and lived there from the time I was 10 years old
until I graduated from high school. We moved to Lenoir city, Tennessee that summer. I
went to college at Tennessee Tech in Cookeville, Tennessee, and met my future husband,
Phillip Meyrick Francis, who is from LaFollette, Tennessee, while I was there. When he
graduated and went into the Army as a 2nd Lieutenant, I went with him as his bride. We
lived all over the world, having five children along the way.
We have three sons and identical twin daughters. The last child was born in Turkey, where
we lived for 2 years. Our tours of duty also included Alaska, New Jersey, New Mexico,
Georgia, Virginia and Kansas. My husband served in Korea and Viet Nam. When we lived in
Virginia Beach, Virginia I wanted to help with the family expenses. At that time we had four
teenagers and a 3 year old. I chose a career selling real estate, thinking I would have more
flexible hours than an 8-5 job. I didn’t know then about all the weekends and evenings I
would have to work! But we all managed someway and I worked in this field for 15 years,
earning my Broker’s license there.
We moved to Naples, Florida in 1979 with our youngest child who was 12 years old. All the
other children were married and living lives of their own. I thought I had retired from real
estate but our oldest son was accepted into medical school and I knew he would need our
help financially. So I earned my Florida real estate license and started all over again. I sold
real estate in Naples for ten years.
During this period we bought my great-grandparents 1845 home in Dahlonega, Georgia. It
was a huge challenge to restore it and I spent many hours driving up and down I-75 trying
to oversee this project while still selling real estate in Naples. We opened it as a Bed and
Breakfast Inn in 1984 and tried hard for 10 years to hang on to it but everybody was making
money there but us. We had to either sell it or move there and run it. We chose to sell it but
it broke my heart. The Worley Homestead Inn is alive and well today.
My husband and I have been married for 58 years. We spend most of our time in Naples,
Florida, with our two kitties. We have eight grandchildren and six great-grandchildren. Life
is good!
Mitzi Hall Francis' Books Are Published by Westview, Inc. |
