FRANKE, Dorothy Irene "Rene" (Drinkall) 1921-2007
FRANKE, DRINKALL, DAVIDSON
Posted By: County Coordinator
Date: 5/13/2015 at 22:57:43
RENE FRANKE, age 86, of Spring Valley, Minn., died Wednesday morning, July 4, 2007, at her home in Spring Valley.
The former Dorothy Irene Drinkall was born January 9, 1921, on a farm northwest of Spring Valley to Elwin and Verna (Davidson) Drinkall. She attended rural school and then graduated from Spring Valley High School in 1939. She worked for a few years at the Spring Valley Telephone Office and then at First National Bank of Spring Valley. She was baptized and confirmed October 31, 1943, at the former Zion Lutheran Church in Spring Valley by the late Rev. William Uhrich.
She married Ervin Carl Franke May 30, 1945, at the same Zion Lutheran Church with the same Rev. Uhrich officiating. Irene and her pastor husband served congregations in Belgrade, Minn., West Union, Cresco and Carpenter, where she served as church secretary, was active in the Women of the Church and was a Sunday School teacher.
She also managed the Share Shoppe in Carpenter [Iowa] for four years. On March 31, 1995, the couple retired and moved to Spring Valley. She was active in community affairs serving as president of the Twentieth Century Federated Women's Club in Cresco, was president of the St. Ansgar Women's Club in Carpenter and the Carpenter Friendship Club. Her hobby was sewing for her daughters and granddaughters. She loved gardening and entertaining friends and family.
She is survived by her husband, Ervin; two sons, John (Debbie) of Raleigh, N.C., and Mark of Austin, Texas; two daughters, Joyce (Al) Hansel of Claremont, Minn., and Linda (Scott) Bengfort of Davenport; eight grandchildren and five great-grandchildren; one sister, Mildred Baier of Chatfield, Minn.; one brother, Lyle (Violet) Drinkall of Lanesboro, Minn.; one half sister, Shirley Lee of Cedar Falls; and a half brother, George (Dorothy) Drinkall of Missouri. She was preceded in death by a daughter, Leona Keune; an infant half sister, Dawn Drinkall; and a half brother, Harold Drinkall.
The funeral will be 2 p.m. today, July 8, at Our Savior's Lutheran Church in Spring Valley with Rev. Dennis Timmerman officiating. Burial will be in the church cemetery. Friends may call at the Thauwald Funeral Home in Spring Valley for an hour before services.
Memorials may be given to the Irene Drinkall Franke Scholarship, C/O Women of the ELCA Scholarships, 8765 W. Higgins Road, Chicago 60631; ELCA World Hunger Appeal, P.O. Box 71764, Chicago 60694-1764; Our Savior's Lutheran Church, 805 S. Broadway, Spring Valley, MN 55975-1403; and Seasons Hospice, 1811 Greenview Place SW, Suite 110, Rochester, MN 55902.
Thauwald Funeral Home in Spring Valley is in charge of arrangements.
Source: Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier, Sunday, July 8, 2007 (Credit: S. Bell)
Mitchell Obituaries maintained by Sharyl Ferrall.
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