Frank Otis Tuttle Jr.

Mr. Frank Otis Tuttle Jr., a longtime resident of Dothan, went to join Jesus Wednesday night, Oct. 26, 2005, at his residence in Dothan. He was 93.

Funeral services will be today, Oct. 28, at 3 pm in the chapel of Kent-Thornton-Meadows Funeral Home in Dothan with Dr. John Fain and the Rev. Bob Gross officiating. Burial will follow in the Dothan City Cemetery. The family will receive friends from 1:30 p.m. until service time. At all other times, the family will be at Mr. Tuttle's residence.

Flowers will be accepted or memorial contributions may be made to First Baptist Church, P.O. Box 2025, Dothan, AL 36302, or Wiregrass Hospice, P.O. Drawer 2127, Dothan, AL 36302.

Mr. Tuttle was born in July 1, 1912, in Sherman, Texas. He was the oldest of the two children Mr. Frank Otis Tuttle Sr. and Lillie Maude Ford Tuttle had. When he was 5 years old, his family moved from Sherman to Denison, Texas, where he lived until he was 24 at which time he left Denison to work in Oklahoma for a year. With encouragement of longtime friends from Denison, Otis moved to Dothan in 1937. Being a Texan at heart, he said he would've got on the next bus to Texas if he he'd had the money in his pocket. Instead Dothan became home for the remainder of his life. He went to work for J.C. Penny, where his friends from Texas also worked. In April of 1937, he joined First Baptist Church of Dothan, where he attended for more than 69 years. It was at First Baptist where he met and later married Doris Burkett in 1939. The first fast food restaurant in Dothan was opened by Mr. Tuttle about this time. It was named Tut's Place and was located on North Oates Street. After a few years of running this business, World War II resulted in changes in Mr. Tuttle's life. Mr. Tuttle joined the Navy and was in the Sea Bees throughout World War II. He was stationed in the South Pacific and Alaska. After returning from his tour of duty in the Navy, he went to work for Vance Equipment Co. In the early 1950s, Mr. Tuttle opened his own refrigeration business. He maintained this service to the community until his retirement. Always a lover of travel, outdoors activities, and different opportunities, Otis and his wife hit the road in a camper. Over a span of nearly 15 years they visited every state in the U.S., some more than once, Nova Scotia, Canada and Mexico. They even took a trip to Greece with Elder Hostel in the '80s. When he finally "settled down," he stayed busy in his yard or taking short trips, becoming active in the Golden K Kiwanis Club here in Dothan, cooking for friends and family, checking on others who might have a need, and as always â€" a faithful member at First Baptist Church. His travels continued with several senior adult trips with First Baptist Church.

Mr. Tuttle was preceded in death by his parents and his wife, Doris Tuttle.

Survivors include two daughter and their husbands, Paula and Joe Pelland of Dothan and Sarah and Howard Alls of Glasgow, Ky.; a sister, Frances Mathis of Denton, Texas; four grandchildren; seven great-grandchildren; and several nieces and nephews.

A very special thanks to Elizabeth Davis for the loving care she gave Otis for the last year of his life and for the loving support she is to the family.

The Chapel Sunday School Class at First Baptist Church will serve as honorary pallbearers.

Kent-Thornton-Meadows Funeral Home, (334) 793-1117, is in charge of arrangements.