ERET, Frank

ERET, PESEK, SCHROEDER, BRATKA, GROSS, HARUDA, MOTFL, KLAPAL, ODELL, DITTMER, STEVENS, ROCKWELL

Posted By: Roseanna Zehner (email)
Date: 1/16/2005 at 09:36:05

Opinion Tribune
August 19, 2004

Frank Eret, one of five children of Frantiska (Pesek) and Joseph Eret, was born on August 8, 1907 at Sargent, Nebraska. Frank attended the Cummings Park Community School District No. 80 in Custer County, Nebraska.

Frank and Leona Alphretta Schroeder were married on November 25, 1933 at Broken Bow, Nebraska and became lifelong farmers in the Sargent area. Their marriage was blessed with four children, John Joseph, Frank Gaylord, Betty Joyce and Karen Dee.

Frank's enjoyments included dancing and polka music, pitching horseshoes, playing pool and reading. He was a talented accordion player who once played on stage at Sargent with Lawrence Welk, after Welk's band was delayed by bad weather. He served on the Cummings Park School Board and as a Township Trustee. Frank retired in 1972 and he and Leona moved to Malvern, Iowa in 1973.

Frank and Leona had been married 55 years when Leona died on July 25, 1989. Frank continued to live in Malvern until his health caused him to move in 2002 to the Avoca Nursing and Rehab Center in Avoca, Iowa. Frank died at the Center on August 10, 2004, two days after his 97th birthday.

Frank was preceded in death by an infant brother; his parents; his wife, Leona; sisters, Josie Bratka, Elizabeth Gross and Hilda Schroeder; stepsisters, Anna Haruda, Ella Motfl and Lydia Klapal; and an infant stepbrother.

Frank is survived by his children, Joe Eret and his wife, Gayle of Malvern, Gaylord Eret and his wife Reatha of North East, Pennsylvania, Betty O'Dell and her husband Bernard of Council Bluffs, Iowa, and Karen Dittmer and her husband Hugo of Shelby, Iowa; 14 grandchildren and 27 great grandchildren; nieces and nephews; other relatives and friends.

Visitation was held at the Mansfield-Hertz Funeral Home in Malvern, Iowa on Friday, August 13, 2004 from 7:00 to 8:00 p.m. Funeral services were held at Mansfield-Hertz Funeral Home on Saturday, August 14, 2004 at 1:30 p.m. with Pastor Mike Stevens of the United Methodist Church officiating.

Pallbearers were Robert Dittmer, Jeff Rockwell, Harold Ditmer, Ty Eret, Ralph Ditmer and Frank S. Eret.

Registry attendant was Donnie Schroeder. Organist was Jo Anna Perkins and soloist was Scott Hillyer with music selection of "In the Garden' and "How Great Thou Art".

Interment was in the Malvern, Iowa Cemetery. Mansfield-Hertz Funeral Home in Malvern was in charge of the arrangements.