Robert "Bobby" Eugene Francis
Robert “Bobby” Eugene Francis was born on June 30, 1935 in Trigg County, Kentucky. He was the third of six children born to Clarence Averitt “Avery” Francis and Berta “Bertie” Adeline Thomas Francis. Avery was a long-term well known barber in Cadiz, Kentucky and Bertie was a housewife and a great-granddaughter of Starkie Thomas. Bobby’s siblings were Clarence Layton, born in 1929; Billy Clayton, born in 1933; Betty Ann, born in 1938; Donna Louise, born in 1941 and Carl Ray, born in 1945.
Bobby attended Trigg County schools and graduated from Trigg County High School. He went on to serve as an enlisted man in the U.S. Army, serving a tour of duty in Germany. On August 60, 1958, Bobby married Bernadine Powell Coombs, of Hopkinsville, in Robertson County, Tennessee. Bernadine was born on May 15, 1936, the daughter of Wesley Elvis and Susan West Powell, both natives of Christian County, Kentucky. Wesley was a Baptist minister.
Bobby and Bernadine were the parents of three sons, his stepson, James Steven Coombs Francis, was born in 1956. Clarence Averitt Francis II was born in 1959 and Robert Wesley Francis was born in 1960.
Bobby and Bernadine settled in Hopkinsville, Kentucky and he began working for the federal Social Security Administration. He worked fourteen years with SSA. While working for the SSA, Bobby attended night school at Austin Peay State University in nearby Clarksville, Tennessee, where he obtained his bachelor’s degree. While still working for the SSA, Bobby subsequently transferred to Louisville, Kentucky. In Louisville, Bobby obtained his law degree after attending night school at the University of Louisville Law School. Bernadine and his sons remained in Hopkinsville while Bobby pursued his law degree in Louisville.
After passing the bar exam, Bobby and his family moved to his hometown of Cadiz where in May 1971 he established a law practice, with his office being located on the second floor over the CreditThrift store on Main Street in downtown Cadiz.
On January 31, 1973 Bobby announced that he was a candidate for the office of county attorney. In the following election in May, he upset the incumbent by 482 votes and became the county attorney. Bobby served for two terms as county attorney, but in 1981, he was defeated in his bid for a third term by another local attorney.
Aside from fulfilling the duties of county attorney, Bobby was active in civic and social work in Cadiz and Trigg County. He was a member of the Kentucky Bar Association, serving as president of the Trigg County Chapter, and as a director of the Kentucky State County Attorney’s Association, representing the nine counties in the Pennyrile Area. He played a major role in implementing the Senior Citizens Center, the Trigg County Recreation Complex, the re-opening of the American Legion swimming pool, and the reorganization of the Trigg County Hospital .
Following the end of his political career, Bobby returned to his law practice in Cadiz. The firm subsequently opened offices in Paducah and Henderson where he specialized in social security disability laws. His wife, Bernadine died on March 15, 1983. On June 29, 1985, Bobby married his second wife, Loralene Barber Stewart in Trigg County. Loralene was born on October 1, 1950 in Christian County, Kentucky and was the daughter of Joe Douglas and Myrtie Mae Marshall Barber. Joe was a great-grandson of Simco Bridges.
Robert Eugene Francis died on March 15, 2006 at the Trigg County Hospital in Cadiz at the age of 70. He was buried in the Trigg Memory Acres Cemetery in Trigg County, a cemetery that Bobby had co-founded in 1972.
Bobby Francis tombstone
Bobby Francis military tombstone
LINEAGE: (Robert Eugene Francis was the son of Clarence Averitt and Berta Adeline Thomas Francis and grandson of Wesley Gunn and Eliza Henderson Thomas. Wesley was the sixth child of Stanley and Emily Ann Light Thomas. Stanley was the second child of Starkie and Mary Bridges Thomas. Starkie was the fourth child of James and Mary Standley Thomas.
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