William Elbert Fralin, Jr.

FRALIN ~ William Elbert Fralin, Jr.; age 80, passed away at Ascension All Saints Hospital on Thursday, March 19, 2020.

He was born January 27, 1940 in Marion, Alabama. As a youngster he accepted Christ, was baptized and joined Berean Baptist Church.

He attended Marion Baptist Academy and graduated from Lincoln High School class of 1959. During his high school years, William was a member of the Lincoln High Marching Band. A few years after graduating, William married Annie Bell Moore and moved to Racine, Wisconsin. This union was blessed with two children, Donald Eugene and Danna. William later married Melba Lee Billingsley and this union was blessed with three sons, Eric Donelle, Darrell Jestan and William Elbert III. Years later, William met and married Hope Rosena Smith.

William was a very hard-working man and was very proud of the 2-car garage that he had built along with a back-yard patio that consisted of large slabs of poured concrete. He loved cars and spent a lot of his free time in his brand-new garage working on vehicles. On weekends, when William wasn’t in the garage he was working on home improvement projects. He also spent time watching educational television with his family like the History Channel or Animal Planet. He had a thirst for knowledge and loved learning new things. When William wasn’t watching educational television, he enjoyed watching Milwaukee Bucks basketball and boxing while having his favorite snacks, Wheat Nuts or roasted salted peanuts.

William was always health conscious, exercising and eating healthy. He encouraged others to do the same as he would always tell his children and loved ones, “you don’t have anything if you don’t have your health.” He retired after thirty years of dedicated service with J.I. Case Tractor Corporation where he worked as an assembly mechanic.

He was preceded in death by his parents, William Elbert & Evelyn Woods Fralin; brother, Bennie Charles “Pee Wee” Fralin. Left to cherished his memory; children, Donald Eugene, Danna, Eric Donelle, Darrell Jestan, William Elbert III, and Xavier Anthony Lauren; nine beautiful grandchildren; Aladdin Maurice, Damion Jamall, Chasity Nicole, Clavonna Latrice, Bilshonte Jemone, Darielle Diasha, Alissa Nicole, Ivy Grace and Nora Rose, two brothers, J.C. (Viola) and James Fralin, Sr.; sisters, Mary (John) Hardaway and Janice Fralin Steele; devoted friend and former wife, Melba Fralin; former wife Hope Smith; nieces, nephews, numerous other relatives and friends.

Services for William will be live streamed from Draeger-Langendorf Funeral Home on Saturday, April 4, 2020 at 12:00 Noon  (Eastern time) with Pastor Adrian Malone officiating. Only the IMMEDIATE FAMILY will be present at the funeral home. Interment will follow at West Lawn Memorial Park. You may witness the service live by accessing the live stream link at  https://youtu.be/rhgiaeOEZfg on Saturday beginning at 11:00 am  Eastern time.

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