Date: 	Wednesday, November 18, 1998 12:37:55PM
Subj: 	 Re:  My memories of Fran

	Most of our group thought I would be the first to post my memorial and here I
am the last.  Its just that it is so difficult to say goodbye to a wonderful
friend like Fran.  Having her for a fried made life all the sweeter and losing
her so soon makes it all the harder.

	It started on an April day 3 years ago when my husband and I took our shiny
new computer out of the box and suddenly we were "on-line".  My favorite show
at that time was Swamp Thing and imagine to my surprise when I found there
actually were posts on DejaNews from OTHER people who had the same interest.
One such post was from Fran White.  I answered that post and waited a week
with no reply.  I answered again, again no reply.  Was this a REAL person?
Then  I spotted her home address and wrote.  I mentioned in the letter that
since she never replied to my e.mails that I had to "snail-mail" her.  

	Eight days later I received a  wonderful, witty letter from a lady
apologizing for not responding sooner,  would LOVE to hear from me again  and
asking "where DID you get the  name "snail-mail"?  That was the beginning of a
very deep and  loving friendship.  After Fran got her computer problems
"sorted out" as she liked to say, we corresponded almost daily in the
beginning.  We talked about the series, its star, Mark Lindsay Chapman, who we
both admired as a fine actor, how to find other "Swampy" people out there and
life itself.  During those conversations I found out about Fran's illness.
She told me not to worry about her because she was doing just fine and
everything was under control.   It was about this time that I found Robyn and
that she had the same passion for this little sci-fi series.  We became a
threesome and dived into the world of producers, writers, crew members and
actors trying to find anything we could about this series.

	During the past 3 years we met many other wonderful people, Dan, Steve, JJ,
Dara, Leslie, Patty and too many others to list.  We became a "family" and as
time went on we made more and more progress.  I started to find crew members
who corresponded with me, I found one of the producers of the show, I talked
to people at Universal Studios in Florida  who is now working with me to help
get the series revived.  Every time  I wrote to Fran with news of a new find,
I got an excited e.mail in return hoping maybe this was the person who would
help us get what we want.  

	Two years ago, while on vacation at Disneyworld, I found that Fran had come
over and was staying nearby.  We invited her to meet us at Epcot with the
people we had come down with and we finally met face to face.  What a
wonderful meeting that was.  Actually seeing and hugging someone made them
real, not just words in an e.mail.  We spent a day together and vowed to do it
again, next time longer.

	Last December we again met Fran at Disneyworld, but this time she stayed with
us for a week and what a wonderful week that was.  We did Universal Studios
together and my husband, Mike, teased us terribly and Fran, as small as she
was, returned it - barb for barb!  It was a week I will never forget .  Little
did I know that when I hugged and kissed her goodbye at the airport it would
be the last time.  

	It was a busy year for both of us and the e.mails were slowing down.  Once a
week, then   twice a month, but we still kept in touch.  Phone calls then
became the mode of communication.  I discovered 10-10-321 and phoning Fran
became a weekly ritual.   I noticed in May that Fran seemed more tired and as
time went on that tiredness became more frequent.  She confided in me that she
wasn't feeling up to par, but it would pass and the doctors would get it all
sorted out.  I accepted what she told me but I worried anyway, along with
everyone else in the group who knew how ill she really was.  

	It seemed that this fall was the down-hill spiral and I started calling every
other day.  Bless my husband for his understanding.  It was about this time
that I was contacted by Jim, a friend of Mark Lindsay Chapman who said that he
saw all the web pages and was quite impressed.  He told me that Mr. Chapman
would like to call and say HI to me and let me know how much all our work
meant to him.  

	I called to tell Fran this wonderful news and this is when I found out just
how series the situation was getting.  I wrote back to Jim telling him how
serious the situation was, that Fran was his BIGGEST fan and could Mr. Chapman
possibly drop her a line to cheer her up.  I gave him Fran's address and
waited.

	One evening the phone rang and when I picked it up there was a delightful
English accent on the other end asking "Is Carol home?"   It was Mark Chapman.
I could not believe my ears.  We spoke for a while and I told him Fran is my
first concern, please try to get in touch with her.  He took the phone
numbers, but could not get through to the hospital.  Fran came home, but Mr.
Chapman was on location shooting a series.  Fran again went into the hospital,
this time for the last time and I desperately tried to get Mr. Chapman in
contact with Fran.  Again he could not get through to her.  He called her mom
instead and spoke to her.  I don't know what he said, but my next conversation
with her was a very happy one.  Unfortunately, Mr. Chapman could never get
through to Fran and I have some very guilty feelings that I could have done
more, but Fran's mom said that just knowing that he tried to get through made
all the difference to her.  I am finding some comfort in that.  

	I came home last Thursday to find a message on my machine. I almost didn't
want to play it because I "knew" what it was.  I listened and played it again,
just to make sure I heard right.  Then I cried.  It was final and it was over.
It also wasn't fair and my first thought was "Fran, why did you leave me?"
Then I thought "as long as I love you, you will always be with me" and I'm
holding on to that thought for dear life.

	Frannie, this is our friendship in a nutshell.  Three years compressed into a
few paragraphs.  I'll miss you terribly but will have the memories of those
three years forever.  I'll think about you all the time and hope that you will
think of us too!  And just between us - don't go to Church Street Station.  

Carol Ann