Frances Bare Muehlmann, 81, of Dacula, Georgia, passed away peacefully at home on September 5, 2022 after a brief illness. She was surrounded by her family.
A true coal miner’s daughter, Frances Yvonne was born on October 21, 1940, to Robert Lee and Mary Louise (Bales) Bare in Elbert, West Virginia. She was the middle of three children and was lovingly called “Baby” by her parents. Fran grew up in Gary – a coal mining town in the mountains of West Virginia where her father and several other family members worked in the mines. She was an honor student at Gary High School as well as a cheerleader, played clarinet, and then became a majorette in the marching band before graduating in 1958. Fran was preceded in death by her parents, her elder brother Raymond E. Bare, and her infant brother Kenneth Lee Bare.
Fran married John Y. B. Hood in 1959 and gave birth to John Y. B. Hood II (Alba) and Laura Hood Guest (Matthew). During their time together they lived in West Virginia, Washington, Alabama, and Texas. Along with her son and daughter, Fran is survived by four grandchildren: Sonya Mutchnick (Saul), John Y. B. Hood III, Thomas Hood (Rita Ren), and Austin Guest. After their divorce, Fran moved with her children to Chicago, Illinois where she worked as an executive secretary at Federal Tool and Plastics. She eventually moved to Fort Worth, Texas where she also worked as an executive secretary at Packaging Incorporated. After that company closed, Fran worked for over 20 years as an executive assistant in the loan department at Bank of America until she retired in 2005.
While working at Packaging Incorporated, Fran met and fell in love with Frederick Paul Muehlmann. When they got married on October 1, 1980, Fran became the bonus mom to Autumn Schumacher (David), Theresa Brunner (Micheal), Richard Muehlmann (Erin Quinn), Paul Muehlmann Jr. (Janet), Eric Muehlmann, and Mary Amerson, as well as a bonus grandmother to numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Fran is survived by her beloved husband Paul, his children, and she was preceded in death by her stepson, James Muehlmann.
Fran was an active member of the Methodist Church all of her life, joining Prospect United Methodist Church after moving to Dacula, Georgia in 2006 to be closer to Laura and her family. She thoroughly enjoyed her Bible study classes and the church’s social activities. A highlight of her later years was caring for her grandson Austin when her daughter Laura went back to work soon after he was born. Fran and Paul enjoyed many days with Austin at the pool, taking him to the mall, playing in their backyard, and taking Austin to the golf course. Fran was a keen shopper – always carrying coupons and looking for deals at her favorite stores – as well as an avid reader of magazines, romance novels, and murder mysteries. Fran loved traveling with Paul visiting friends and attending family events, usually driving along the backroads to explore the United States. Throughout her life, Fran enjoyed the animal companionship of her cats (Angel and Sasha) and dogs (Sammie, Penny, Bailey, and Sabrina). Fran maintained a close relationship with several high school friends throughout her life, enjoyed attending her high school reunions, as well as staying close with her co-worker girlfriends from the bank in Texas.
The family has arranged a private burial service at Hamilton Mill Memorial Chapel and Gardens in Buford, Georgia.
A public memorial service honoring Fran will be held at 2:00 PM on Saturday, November 5, 2022, at Prospect United Methodist Church, 1549 Prospect Rd, Lawrenceville, GA 30043. A reception at the church will follow the service.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donating in her honor to the Society of Humane Friends of GA, PO Box 667, Dacula, GA 30019 (http://www.sohfga.com/support-us.html) or another licensed animal rescue group.
Hamilton Mill Memorial Chapel 770-945-6924 Share memories of Frances at hamiltonmillchapel.com
