Emily Frances ( Fran ) Tate

January 2, 1925 - March 13, 2019

Emily Frances (Fran) Tate, age 94, passed away on March 13, 2019, in Jupiter, FL. A native of Rome, Floyd County, GA, Fran was born January 2, 1925; daughter of the late William Oscar Payne and Bessie Price Payne. Fran, the youngest of eight children, was preceded in death by four brothers, William Madison Payne, Henry Payne, Paul Payne and James Walter Payne, and three sisters, Mary Ann Kay, Pearl Hardin and Ida Belle Davis. Survivors include two daughters, Gina Huggins and Cheryl Hollis, both in Jupiter, FL; and two grandchildren, Christina Browne, who lives in Guelph, Canada and Jared Hollis of Jensen Beach, FL. Fran left Rome to live with her sister, Ida Belle Davis, and family in Michigan when she was a teenager. She returned to Rome and married Homer West Tate on February 25, 1943. While serving in the Navy, Homer was stationed in Ft. Pierce, Florida where Fran joined him and worked in a citrus packing plant. After the war ended they moved to Miami where they raised their two daughters. Fran managed apartments on Miami Beach on two separate occasions in 1950 and 1953. She had many occasions to rub elbows with movie stars and had the autographs to prove it. Fran worked to receive her GED in 1962 and then went on to obtain her nursing license. She began her career at North Miami General Hospital and then moved on to nursing homes and private duty nursing in the Miami area. Fran returned to Rome in 1973 and continued her nursing career at several nursing homes and also private duty for the Cooper family. When she retired, she was working at 5th Avenue Nursing Home. As a compassionate nurse and caregiver, Fran attended to most of her brothers and sisters before they passed away. She always loved Florida and divided her time between Rome and Miami, where she bought and fixed up real estate to sell. Fran was a member of West Rome Baptist Church and continued to support the church after she moved to Jupiter, FL in 2013 to be close to her daughters and grandchildren. The family will receive friends Tuesday, March 19th, from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. at Good Shepherd Funeral Home. The funeral service will be held at 3:00 p.m. with the Reverend Ken Oates officiating. Interment will follow at Oaknoll Cemetery. At other times, the family will gather at 17 Fremont Drive, SW, Rome. Friends and family are welcome. Please visit www.goodshepherdfh.net to post online tributes. Good shepherd Funeral Home, 2750 Shorter Ave. Rome, Ga. 30165 has charge of the arrangements for Emily Frances ( Fran ) Tate.