JOHN FRANKLIN "FRANK" CHAMPION, JR., was born
in Ranger, TX in the early 1920's, the son of Anna
Belle Winks & John Franklin Champion. He had an
older brother, Donald F. Champion (RHS-1929), and
two sisters, Hortense Champion Thompson & Vivian
Champion Hughes (RHS-1937). Vivian was also born
in Ranger. The Champions came to Ranger in 1917 and
Frank, Sr., was the driller on the McClesky #1
discovery well & several of the later offset wells.
The father became a superintendent of the Prairie
Oil & Gas Co. in 1920 and later was with Hamon Oil
Company. Frank, Sr. & Anna Belle returned to Ranger
in 1953 and lived there until their deaths.
Frank Jr., graduated with the Ranger High School
Class of 1939 and was living in Freer, TX, in 1942
when he enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps. He was
killed by enemy fire over Germany in 1943 and was
buried in Belgium after the war. At the time of
his death, he was co-pilot of a B-17 flying out of
England.