Frances Marie Brantley

Kind, gentle, nurturing, graceful, elegant, lovely, truly beautiful inside and out - you could easily choose any of these key attributes to describe Frances Marie Robins Brantley. She was born on September 25, 1932, the youngest of seven children born to Elizabeth Trimmings Robins and Isiah Robins of Marianna, Arkansas a small town in the Eastern Arkansas Delta. Two girls, Louise and Bernice; four boys, Isiah Jr., John (J.D.), Wilbur and Mack. Then came another precious little girl, Frances Marie.
Frances was born during the lean times of the Great Depression. To say they were poor was an understatement. Just as an example, during those times food staples were bought in bulk. Flour that was used for baking came in 25 pound cotton sacks. After the sacks were emptied the cotton fabric was used to make dresses for her. The family didn't have much but she experienced a happy, fun filled childhood showered with overwhelming love. Her upbringing was centered in religion. The children were taught to say their prayers, go to Sunday school, and attend church service. For as long as she could remember, they attended and were faithful members of Livingston Chapel Methodist Episcopal Church. They walked to church about one mile from their home and never thought of not going unless the weather was too severe.
She was taught to be polite, mannerable, and respectful to everyone saying 'Good Morning', 'Thank you', 'Excuse me' or 'Pardon me'. Adults were to be addressed with the title of Mr., Mrs., or Ms and responded to with 'Yes sir', 'No sir' or 'Yes ma'am', 'No ma'am'. She was taught she was as good as anyone, but not better than anyone.
When it came time for school, she joined her brother Mack in the first grade and they went from first grade through twelfth grade together. They were extremely close and Mack was very protective of her. Actually, all of her siblings were, especially the brothers. During the summers everyone had to help out to make ends meet. Her older brothers had gone off to serve in the military and would send money home. In those tough times the younger ones had to help out too. Mack the younger brother did not want Frances (who he affectionately called "Ree") to have to chop or pick cotton along with him. He told their mother he would cover whatever work she would need to do so she would not have to do it.
From age eleven through high school, she was afforded the opportunity to spend the majority of her summers in Kansas City, Missouri. Her older brother J.D. wanted her to experience something more than what small town Arkansas delta life could offer. He would send money so she could take the train to go spend the summer with relatives. Dressed to the nines with her hat and gloves, she proudly took that train ride. God watched over her and kept her out of harm's way as she traveled alone, a little black girl, by herself, all dressed up on the way to the city in the 1940s.
She graduated from Robert R. Moton High School in1950 with honors as class Salutatorian. A class of 50 students, the largest class to graduate from Moton to that date.
After graduation she had the privilege to attend college at Philander Smith College, a small Methodist Church supported Liberal Arts school located in Little Rock, AR now a proud HBCU. She was able to attend in part due to receiving scholarships from the General Conference of the Methodist Church. Her older sisters Louise and Bernice and her oldest brother Isiah Jr. had also attended Philander Smith College. In the beginning, she did not like it there and asked her parents to come get her. They said "No, we want you to stay and get your degree". Eventually she grew to like it. She was quite popular. Through financial support from her older brother J.D., she was fortunate to become a member of the sorority she had read about in newspapers and aspired to become a member - Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated. She served as Basileus of their chapter and was honored to attend and represent her chapter at the1953 Boule held in St. Louis, Missouri. She was also selected Homecoming Queen in 1953. She graduated from Philander in May of 1954 with a Bachelor of Arts Degree with a major in Pre Social Work.
After applying for employment in that field, she learned she would need experience or a Master's Degree in Social Work. It was during that time she was offered a position to teach second grade by the principal of the elementary school back home in Marianna, Mrs. Anna M. P. Strong. She accepted the position knowing she would have to become certified in Elementary Education if she wanted to continue in this profession.
Frances absolutely loved teaching and quickly found it was truly her passion. She loved her students and they loved her. She would continue teaching and was intent on becoming certified in Elementary Education. She immediately started coursework to obtain the Education hours required for certification by attending the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville. The University had been integrated in 1948. The first summer she attended the U of A was in 1956. It was also during that time she began a more serious courtship with Ollie Brantley an aspiring baseball player formerly of the Southland community in Phillips county Arkansas. He had previously played in the Negro League as a pitcher with the Memphis Red Sox. By this time, he had joined the Chicago White Sox and played professionally in the Minor League. They had first met many years earlier at a high school basketball game. Before the year ended they were engaged. On February 24, 1957 the gorgeous young teacher and handsome professional baseball player were married. Frances and Ollie were married for 63 years.
To this union two daughters were born. In 1958, she and Ollie welcomed their first child. Their daughter Beverly was born in February. By June of 1960 they welcomed their second daughter, Karen. Being the mother of those two girls was one of the greatest joys of her life. She was an awesome mother, truly the best mother any child could ever ask for. The couple worked hard and was fortunate to build a new house in 1962. They were so proud! Their home was the first modern brick home African Americans built in Marianna. As Frances was completing the coursework required for teaching certification she decided to further strengthen her credentials by also pursuing the program requirements to obtain a Master's degree in Elementary Education. Now with a husband and two children, she took every opportunity to work toward her advanced degree whenever possible. Along with her good friend and fellow teacher Mrs. Carrie Anthony, she would attend evening classes at the University of Arkansas center in Little Rock, Arkansas as schedules permitted. They would leave school after a hard day of work and make the commute on a two lane highway to Little Rock about 90 miles away to attend class. Although it was a rigorous schedule and times were very challenging during the Civil Rights movement, she continued taking classes. The summer of 1963, she again enrolled in the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville. She would complete her remaining classes with all A's and successfully complete an oral comprehensive examination with her professors. In January of 1964 she proudly received a Master's degree in Elementary Education from the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville. She was invited by her major professors to go into the Doctoral program but declined because she wanted to focus on raising those two little girls. Mrs. Frances Brantley and Mrs. Carrie Anthony who attended those night classes together were the first African American teachers in the school district to hold Master's Degrees. They would also not be denied the same respect afforded to the non-minority teachers when they insisted on being referred to by their titles "Mrs." not just being addressed by their first name as had previously been customary for the African American teachers. Mrs. Brantley enjoyed a career in education that spanned three decades. She taught 2nd grade, then 5th& 6th grades. She moved into a more specific role as a Remedial Reading specialist, then to Assistant Principal, retiring in 1986. Mrs. Brantley had many interests in addition to family and teaching. Her love of flowers sparked her interest in gardening. She planted blooms and blubs in her flower beds and put out potted plants on the front porch during spring through fall every year. The beautiful flowers along with a well-manicured lawn resulted in she and her husband being awarded "Yard of the Week" several times.
She was an awesome cook. Cooking was definitely one of her love languages and the kitchen was her happy space. She would prepare hot breakfasts during school day mornings even though she had to get the girl's dressed, do their hair complete with matching ribbons, get herself ready and be out the door to be at school for work without being late. How did she do that? After working all day teaching school, she'd come home and prepare equally impressive dinners. Sunday dinners after church were even more special. Holiday meals were over the top. At Thanksgiving she prepped, chopped and assembled all the ingredients to prepare a mouthwatering feast for dinner. Prior to the big day, she would bake from scratch the best pies and cakes you have ever tasted. She'd make everyone's favorite. Pound cake, sweet potato pie, pecan or chess pie, chocolate layer cake and German chocolate or Red Velvet cake. A few weeks later for Christmas, she would do it all again!
Church was very important. She loved her church, Livingston Chapel United Methodist where she was a faithful member attending every Sunday until she moved to Dallas. She was a member of choir and held various appointments over the years. Even though she couldn't attend in person after she moved away, she always remained connected and financial. She also enjoyed traveling. It likely stemmed from early years going to Kansas City every summer. She had the opportunity to travel to wherever her husband was playing baseball each season and there were many throughout his career. She would travel to and spend the summer in Colorado, Oregon, Wisconsin, North Dakota, North Carolina and Florida. Family visits and vacation spots would take her to most of the major cities in the country Detroit, St. Louis, Chicago, San Francisco, Las Vegas, New York, and Honolulu. Along with her usual travel companions, her girls, she also took several cruises and visited other tropical locations including Jamaica, Cancun, The Bahamas and Grand Cayman. She moved to Dallas, Texas in 2013 to be close to her daughters. She resided in the Dallas area for the last 12 years of her full, beautiful, well lived life of over 9 decades. She departed this life on November 6, 2025 peacefully at home surrounded by family. She leaves to cherish her memory her daughter, Karen Brantley of Carrollton, Texas; a sister-in-law Dorothy Robins (J.D.), a host of nieces, nephews and cousins; a bonus daughter Linda Brantley, Linda's two daughters Kyra Brantley and Kaiesha Brantley McGruder and her family; several longtime friends and numerous other treasured people whose lives she touched in a special way that affectionately called her Ma 2, Mamma Brantley, Mother Brantley and Granny Frannie. Her husband Ollie Brantley, daughter Beverly Brantley, her parents Elizabeth Trimmings Robins and Isiah Robins; her six siblings Louise Robins, Bernice Robins Davis (Cato), Isiah Robins Jr.(Joyce), John (J.D.) Robins, Wilbur Robins (Katherine), and Mack Robins (Almeta) all preceded her in death.
Her spirit will live on in every shared story and every act of love inspired by her example. We know she is watching over us from heaven and we will forever carry her in our hearts.
A Memorial Service honoring her memory will be on Friday, December 12, 2025 1:00PM at Hamilton Park United Methodist Church 11881 Schroeder Rd, Dallas, TX 75243