Franklin Roberts Harden

Franklin Roberts Harden, better known as Bobby, age 94, of Rochelle, Georgia, passed away Thursday, February 12, 2026. Funeral services will be held at 2PM at First Baptist Church of Rochelle on Sunday, February 15, 2026. Interment will follow in the family plot in the Siloam Cemetery. Visitation will be from 6-8PM at First Baptist Church of Rochelle on February 14, 2026.

Bobby was born on either October 4, 1931 or October 5, 1931, in Fitzgerald, Georgia. Since he was born at home, his actual birthday was always debated by his late parents James E. Harden, Sr. and Dimple Roberts Harden of Fitzgerald. The birthday confusion was a situation that he often used to aggravate his family – they either wished him a “Happy Birthday” too early or too late depending on the date they chose that year. He graduated from Fitzgerald High School in May of 1949. After high school, he attended South Georgia College in Douglas, Georgia, where he received an Associate Degree. He had been accepted to Georgia Tech where he planned to attend in the fall, but because he was not actively enrolled in college, he was drafted into the United States Army in 1953. He went to Fort Jackson in South Carolina for basic training and then served in Korea for 18 months until 1955. He was honorably discharged as an E-5 Sergeant. Mr. Harden was a member of the local American Legion Post 71 and often shared stories with his children and grandchildren of his adventures overseas while in the military . . . including one about how he and a friend paid rickshaw drivers to race around the Imperial Palace while he was on R/R leave in Tokyo, Japan - which understandably got them in a little trouble..

After he returned home from Korea, he used his GI Bill to attend college. He initially attended the University of Florida, but they had no dormitory space available, and he had to sleep on a cot in the gym, so he transferred to Valdosta State College where he received a Bachelor of Science degree. This is where he also met his beloved wife of almost 61 years, the late Carol Keene Harden, whom he has missed and talked about every day since her passing in May of 2018. After graduation in 1958, Bobby and Carol returned to her hometown of Abbeville where he went to work with the railroad. During this time, he received a call from the Superintendent of Wilcox County Schools who offered both him and Carol jobs. This changed the trajectory of his career. He later attended the University of Georgia where he received a Master of Education Degree in August of 1966. He worked in many positions for the Wilcox County School System throughout his 30 plus year career starting as a teacher at Pineview High School. Then, he went on to serve as the Federal Programs Coordinator in the Board of Education Office at the Wilcox County Courthouse, interim principal at Rochelle Elementary, and counselor at Wilcox County High School where he served for many years until he retired in 1990. He thoroughly enjoyed his long retirement and often boasted that he was retired longer than he worked.

Mr. Harden loved taking care of his yard – especially helping Carol who was an avid flower gardener. She always teased him saying she had the best yard man in the county. Through last season, he was still cutting his own grass and doing his own weed eating. He also loved automobiles and any kind of vehicle. In fact, he often told how he used his military pay that he saved up to buy himself a new 1955 Chevy when he was discharged from the Army. He took great pride in taking care of all of his vehicles and equipment – making sure that they were spotless and shiny – down to the lawnmower. He was often heard telling his family, with a little chiding, when he found out that one of them had taken a car somewhere and had it washed that he was proud to say that he had never paid to have one of his vehicles washed. Despite his painstaking care of vehicles and equipment in his later years, he had tales of some accidents in his youth that included totaling his brother’s new car in Florida when he and some friends went down to see a hurricane come in and tearing up a ski boat on a rock in the Ocmulgee. Up until his fall on the night of December 28, 2025, he could be seen tooling around Rochelle in his red convertible Mustang, dune buggy, or side by side. In fact, he had just washed his Mustang the afternoon that he fell. As meticulous as he was about his vehicles, one vice that he had was that he never liked to throw away any old or worn out tool or piece of equipment. He believed that a good roll of duct tape or a shot of WD-40 could fix just about anything.

Bobby was quick witted and had many catchphrases that are well known and often used by his entire family now. If he thought highly of someone or someone did something nice, he’d say, “You’re a gentleman and a scholar, and there are few of us left.” He sometimes used these phrases to give advice and wisdom to his family in a clear, succinct way like “Persevere, Pal.” However, other times, when a family member came to him for advice regarding a particularly difficult situation, he’d simply quip, “I’ll tell you what we’re going to do; we’re going to tear up all these dollar tickets and let everybody in for a dime!”

He loved music, and he loved to dance. His grandchildren always enjoyed his impromptu organ concerts in the living room. He loved to tell about his younger days of going to “The Spotted Pig” and “The Log Cabin” and being the best dancer around (according to him). He said everyone wanted to dance with him. His love of dance continued throughout his life. He loved to do the “Old Soft Shoe” with his granddaughters, and he was the hit of the dance floor at his granddaughter’s wedding last May. Any type of activity that came up from ping pong to yo-yoing, he would tell his children and grandchildren to let him show them how - that he was the “Champion of First Ward.” First Ward was the school he attended as a youngster in Fitzgerald. He appreciated good literature and was also able to quote entire poems that he learned as a student in high school.

He was a charter member of First Avenue Baptist Church in Rochelle and served as a deacon there for many years. At the time of his passing, he was a member of First Baptist Church of Rochelle.

Mr. Harden’s proudest accomplishment was his family. He and Carol loved having their children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren in their home. Even after her death in 2018, he loved for the family to gather at his home for holidays and other special occasions. At these times, he would often comment on how blessed he was and how proud Carol would be. He loved for them to stop by, and he always had candy, cookies, and ice cream to offer them. He could often be heard telling the nurses and other hospital staff about his children’s and grandchildren’s accomplishments during his stay over the past weeks. He was known as BopBop to his grandchildren, and the nurses and staff at Dorminy Medical Rehab took to calling him BopBop as well, following suit after his grandchildren and in-laws, who were constantly in and out taking care of him after his fall.

He is survived by his four children, Mark (Jimmie Lynn) Harden, Jeff (Lynn) Harden, Susan (Randall) Stubbs, and Stevie (Lisa) Harden all of Wilcox County; nine grandchildren, Dawn (Billy) Harris, Heather Harden, Jeffrey (Jason) Harden, Justin (Kristin) Harden, Caroline Stubbs, Lauren Stubbs, Abigail (Brooks) Beddow, Ansley Harden, Anna Carol Harden, and Zach (Summer) Gibbs; and nine great grandchildren, Dawson Harris, Eli Harris, Owen Harris, Emma Harris, Ryley Harris, Hinleigh Harden, Everleigh Harden, Jocelyn Harden, and Stetson Gibbs.

In addition to his wife Carol of almost 61 years, he is preceded in death by great grandson, Mason Harris, two brothers, James E. Harden, Jr. and Maurice Harden, and a sister, Betty Uzzell.

Pallbearers will be grandsons Jeffrey Harden, Justin Harden, Dawson Harris, Eli Harris, Owen Harris, and Ryley Harris. Grandson-in-law Reverend Billy Harris and Reverend Richard Compton will be officiating.