OBITUARY: Keith Franklin Francis, Mitchell County, Iowa


                            Keith F. Francis

[ Mitchell County Press-News online -- Posted Aug. 14, 2002 ]

Services were held for Keith F. Francis, age 82, of Osage on Sunday, August
11, 2002, at the Trinity Lutheran Church in Osage. The Reverend Christian
F. Gugel officiated. Interment was in the Osage Cemetery. Keith died
Thursday, August 8, 2002, at the Faith Lutheran Home in Osage.

Keith Franklin Francis was born August 16, 1919, at the family home in Clear
Lake, IA, the son of Otha and Wanda (Lundy) Francis. He attended grade
school in the Little Cedar schools until moving to Orchard, where he
graduated from high school in 1937. Keith enjoyed playing basketball and
baseball in his younger days.

Keith was united in marriage to Lucille Eilers of Osage on February 25,
1940, at St. John's Lutheran Church rural Osage. He was baptized and
confirmed at that church shortly after they were married. They farmed
in the New Haven and Mitchell areas for 49 years. They moved to Osage
in May of 1982, retiring after Keith suffered a stroke in 1989. They
celebrated 61 years of marriage before Lucille passed away in November,
2001.

Keith was a member of the Trinity Lutheran Church in Osage, was a director
on the CO-OP Oil Board for 30 years, serving as president for five years.
He served on the Mitchell County Fair Board for many years. He was a
long-time Farm Bureau member. He also served on the Mitchell School Board
and was president for seveal years. Keith enjoyed farming and often
commented it wasn't work, he enjoyed it. He was extremely proud that his
son and grandson are farming the family farm, and liked to take rides to
see the livestock and activity on the farm. He rode a few rounds in the
combine every fall. Keith and Lucille  spent their winter months in Texas
and Arizona for many years. His favorite activities included playing cards
and cribbage.

Francis was preceded in death by his wife Lucille on November 13, 2001, and
a brother Melvin Francis.

His survivors include a son Donald Francis and his wife Janelle of Mitchell,
a daughter Shirley Rake and her husband Elwood of Osage, four grandchildren,
Doug Rake of Fort Lauderdale, FL; Jennifer Kisley and her husband John of
St. Ansgar, Beth Steffensen and her husband Tony of Des Moines and
Jeffrey Francis of St. Ansgar, six great-grandchildren, Andrea, Morgan
and Steven Kisley, Mercedes, Elijah and Grace Steffensen, three sisters,
Maxine Dostart, Betty Kleckner and Juanita Halvorson of Osage and a brother
Gerald Francis of Osage.




Copyright (c) 2002 by Kermit Kittleson
(Note: I am not necessarily related to the subject of the obituary.)
This copy contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives.

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