Clesson Bill Franklin, age 88, of rural Wessington, SD, died Tuesday, March 20, 2007, at the Violet Tschetter Memorial Home in Huron. His funeral service will be at 2:00 PM Saturday, March 24, at the First Presbyterian Church at Wessington with Rev. Allen Sager officiating. Burial will be at the Wessington Cemetery. Friends may call Friday afternoon and evening and Saturday morning at the Welter Funeral Home or prior to the service at the church Saturday afternoon. There will be a Prayer Service at 7:00 PM Friday evening at the funeral home with the family present from 7:00 to 8:30 PM. Memorials may be mailed to the Bill Franklin Residence, General Delivery, Wessington, SD 57381. Clesson Wayne Franklin was born on August 8, 1918, to Ray and Effie (Brugger) Franklin at Wessington, SD. Bill grew up on the family farm and graduated from Wessington High School. He attended Wessington Springs College for 1 year, received his teaching certificate, and taught school for 2 years in a country school south of Highmore, and at Browns Valley. On February 8, 1941, Bill married Marie Marshall at Chamberlain. Bill moved to rural Wessington where Bill owned and operated a farm/ranch until his retirement in 1980. He remained on the farmstead but wintered in North Carolina at his daughters home. He was a member of the Wessington First Presbyterian Church and the Wessington Senior Center. His many interests included hunting, trapping, mechanics, traveling, and playing cards. He was very interested in politics and current events, and concerned about the balance and diversity of nature in wildlife, soil erosion, and conservation issues. He is survived by 1 daughter, Judith (David) Peters of Newport, NC; 1 son, Cleo (Judith) Franklin of Burnsville, MN; 8 grandchildren, Deborah Peters and her husband Michael Femia, Teresa Peters and her husband Gary Klee, Matthew Peters and his wife Anya, Theodore Peters and his wife Kimberly, Aaron Franklin and his wife Taera, Lisa Fujii and her husband Nobu, Elizabeth Franklin, and Catherine Franklin; 9 great grandchildren; and a special friend, Dorothy Menning of Wolsey. He was preceded in death by his parents; and 1 son, Wayne Franklin.