Aretha Franklin's Mother
She died of a heart attack.
Barbara Vernice Siggers Franklin was an American gospel singer and pianist, the mother of American singer–songwriter Aretha Franklin and wife of Rev. C.L Franklin,an American Baptist minister at New Bethel Baptist Church in Detroit.
Born on June 29, 1917 in Shelby, Mississippi, Barbara married Pastor Clarence LaVaughn Franklin in 1936.
The couple had four children: Erma (1938–2002), Cecil (1940–1989), Aretha (1942–2018), and Carolyn Franklin (1944–1988). Before their marriage, Barbara already had a son, Vaughn (1934-2002) from a previous relationship, whom CL Franklin adopted.
According to singer Mahalia Jackson, Barbara was one of the finest gospel singers in the country. Although her main focus was that of a wife and mother, she also regularly participated in the musical affairs of the churches where her husband, C.L worked as a pastor.
The couple had marital difficulties, which ultimately led Barbara to leave her husband in 1948, and move to Buffalo, where her mother lived.
Aretha spent several summers in Buffalo when she was young, living with her mother and grandmother. In her autobiography, Aretha wrote that "her adult memories of Buffalo were centered around a front porch at 21 Lyth Ave. in the city's Cold Springs neighborhood, a house that still exists.
According to records at the Buffalo History Museum, Aretha's mother lived there while she was a nurse's aide in the early 1950s at the old Meyer Memorial Hospital, predecessor to the Erie County Medical Center."
Although it was widely reported that she had deserted her children, Aretha Franklin disputed that claim, and Nick Salvatore of Cornell University took pains to discredit it in his biography of C. L. Franklin. According to Salvatore, she visited Detroit to see her children, and they traveled to Buffalo during summer vacations for stays with her.
She died of a heart attack on March 7, 1952, at the young age of 34.
Internment was in Forest Lawn Cemetery.
(Source: Buffalo News, August 17, 2018)
She died of a heart attack.
Barbara Vernice Siggers Franklin was an American gospel singer and pianist, the mother of American singer–songwriter Aretha Franklin and wife of Rev. C.L Franklin,an American Baptist minister at New Bethel Baptist Church in Detroit.
Born on June 29, 1917 in Shelby, Mississippi, Barbara married Pastor Clarence LaVaughn Franklin in 1936.
The couple had four children: Erma (1938–2002), Cecil (1940–1989), Aretha (1942–2018), and Carolyn Franklin (1944–1988). Before their marriage, Barbara already had a son, Vaughn (1934-2002) from a previous relationship, whom CL Franklin adopted.
According to singer Mahalia Jackson, Barbara was one of the finest gospel singers in the country. Although her main focus was that of a wife and mother, she also regularly participated in the musical affairs of the churches where her husband, C.L worked as a pastor.
The couple had marital difficulties, which ultimately led Barbara to leave her husband in 1948, and move to Buffalo, where her mother lived.
Aretha spent several summers in Buffalo when she was young, living with her mother and grandmother. In her autobiography, Aretha wrote that "her adult memories of Buffalo were centered around a front porch at 21 Lyth Ave. in the city's Cold Springs neighborhood, a house that still exists.
According to records at the Buffalo History Museum, Aretha's mother lived there while she was a nurse's aide in the early 1950s at the old Meyer Memorial Hospital, predecessor to the Erie County Medical Center."
Although it was widely reported that she had deserted her children, Aretha Franklin disputed that claim, and Nick Salvatore of Cornell University took pains to discredit it in his biography of C. L. Franklin. According to Salvatore, she visited Detroit to see her children, and they traveled to Buffalo during summer vacations for stays with her.
She died of a heart attack on March 7, 1952, at the young age of 34.
Internment was in Forest Lawn Cemetery.
(Source: Buffalo News, August 17, 2018)
Aretha Franklin's Mother
She died of a heart attack.
Barbara Vernice Siggers Franklin was an American gospel singer and pianist, the mother of American singer–songwriter Aretha Franklin and wife of Rev. C.L Franklin,an American Baptist minister at New Bethel Baptist Church in Detroit.
Born on June 29, 1917 in Shelby, Mississippi, Barbara married Pastor Clarence LaVaughn Franklin in 1936.
The couple had four children: Erma (1938–2002), Cecil (1940–1989), Aretha (1942–2018), and Carolyn Franklin (1944–1988). Before their marriage, Barbara already had a son, Vaughn (1934-2002) from a previous relationship, whom CL Franklin adopted.
According to singer Mahalia Jackson, Barbara was one of the finest gospel singers in the country. Although her main focus was that of a wife and mother, she also regularly participated in the musical affairs of the churches where her husband, C.L worked as a pastor.
The couple had marital difficulties, which ultimately led Barbara to leave her husband in 1948, and move to Buffalo, where her mother lived.
Aretha spent several summers in Buffalo when she was young, living with her mother and grandmother. In her autobiography, Aretha wrote that "her adult memories of Buffalo were centered around a front porch at 21 Lyth Ave. in the city's Cold Springs neighborhood, a house that still exists.
According to records at the Buffalo History Museum, Aretha's mother lived there while she was a nurse's aide in the early 1950s at the old Meyer Memorial Hospital, predecessor to the Erie County Medical Center."
Although it was widely reported that she had deserted her children, Aretha Franklin disputed that claim, and Nick Salvatore of Cornell University took pains to discredit it in his biography of C. L. Franklin. According to Salvatore, she visited Detroit to see her children, and they traveled to Buffalo during summer vacations for stays with her.
She died of a heart attack on March 7, 1952, at the young age of 34.
Internment was in Forest Lawn Cemetery.
(Source: Buffalo News, August 17, 2018)
She died of a heart attack.
Barbara Vernice Siggers Franklin was an American gospel singer and pianist, the mother of American singer–songwriter Aretha Franklin and wife of Rev. C.L Franklin,an American Baptist minister at New Bethel Baptist Church in Detroit.
Born on June 29, 1917 in Shelby, Mississippi, Barbara married Pastor Clarence LaVaughn Franklin in 1936.
The couple had four children: Erma (1938–2002), Cecil (1940–1989), Aretha (1942–2018), and Carolyn Franklin (1944–1988). Before their marriage, Barbara already had a son, Vaughn (1934-2002) from a previous relationship, whom CL Franklin adopted.
According to singer Mahalia Jackson, Barbara was one of the finest gospel singers in the country. Although her main focus was that of a wife and mother, she also regularly participated in the musical affairs of the churches where her husband, C.L worked as a pastor.
The couple had marital difficulties, which ultimately led Barbara to leave her husband in 1948, and move to Buffalo, where her mother lived.
Aretha spent several summers in Buffalo when she was young, living with her mother and grandmother. In her autobiography, Aretha wrote that "her adult memories of Buffalo were centered around a front porch at 21 Lyth Ave. in the city's Cold Springs neighborhood, a house that still exists.
According to records at the Buffalo History Museum, Aretha's mother lived there while she was a nurse's aide in the early 1950s at the old Meyer Memorial Hospital, predecessor to the Erie County Medical Center."
Although it was widely reported that she had deserted her children, Aretha Franklin disputed that claim, and Nick Salvatore of Cornell University took pains to discredit it in his biography of C. L. Franklin. According to Salvatore, she visited Detroit to see her children, and they traveled to Buffalo during summer vacations for stays with her.
She died of a heart attack on March 7, 1952, at the young age of 34.
Internment was in Forest Lawn Cemetery.
(Source: Buffalo News, August 17, 2018)
Inscription
"In loving memory of our mom. You will always be in our hearts".
Family Members
Parents
