Franklin Austin Van Hemert, age 75, of Spring, Texas passed away Thursday morning, November 7, 2013 at his residence in Spring.

Services will be 10:00 am Saturday, November 9, 2013 at Aulds Funeral Home of Archer City, Texas, with Rev. Rick Allen, pastor of Pleasant Valley Baptist Church in Wichita Falls, Texas, officiating.
Interment will follow in the Archer City Cemetery.

Mr. Van Hemert was born April 11, 1938 in Olney, Texas to Lyndred Van Hemert and Sarah Young Van Hemert. He graduated from Olney High School in 1956 and after graduation, he joined the United States Air Force. After 27 ½ years of service, including the Vietnam War, he retired as a Senior Master Sergeant. He had also received an Associate Degree in History from the University of Albuquerque in Albuquerque, New Mexico in 1977.

He and Iris Nadine Cox were married July 25, 1959 in Archer City. They had resided in Wichita Falls from 1979 until 2012 when they moved to Spring to be closer to family. He was a longtime active member of Pleasant Valley Baptist Church where he had served as a deacon and in numerous other offices. He greatly enjoyed restoring old Volkswagens, gardening, playing dominoes and "42", and building and flying model airplanes.

Survivors include his wife Iris of the home; two daughters, Angela Negreiro of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and Dr. Sue Collier, and her husband Gregory of Spring, Texas; four sisters, Violet Vincent of Copperas Cove, Texas, Rosietta Sutton of Everman, Texas, Sarah Jane Drennan of Olney, Texas, and Nancy Jowers of Tuscola, Texas; four grandchildren, Nathan Negreiro of Kirkland, Washington, Ariana Negreiro of Fort Lauderdale, and Austin and Sara Collier of Spring, and numerous nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents; two brothers, Edward and Clifford Van Hemert; and a sister Willena Nichols.