Franken, Gerrit H., 1891-1984

FRANKEN, BOSCH, SCHOEP

Posted By: Lydia Lucas - Volunteer (email)
Date: 8/21/2010 at 21:23:26

Gerrit H. Franken, Sr., 92, of Sioux Center died Sunday [Aug. 12] in a nursing home in Hills, Minnesota.

Services were at 10:30 a.m. in the First Reformed Church in Sioux Center. Dr. Thurman Rynbrandt and the Rev. Clarence Greving officiated. Burial was in Memory Gardens Cemetery. Visitation was from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday in the Memorial Funeral Home.

Mr. Franken was born November 13, 1891, in Sioux Center where he attended school. He was a lifelong area farmer. He married Gertie Bosch February 23, 1914, at Steen, Minnesota. She died in 1963.

Mr. Franken was a member of the Sioux Center Community Hospital Board, Cooperative Creamery Board, and Northwestern College Board at Orange City. He served as secretary-treasurer of the Welcome Township school board. He served on the Consistory of the Middleburg Free Grace Reformed Church of Sioux Center and taught Sunday School for many years.

Survivors include seven sons, Everett, Louis, Gerrit H. Jr., and Arnold, all of Sioux Center, Dries of Buena Park, California, Howard of Luverne, Minnesota, and Erwin of Orange City; three daughters, Mrs. Bernard (Grace) Van Batavia of Luverne, Mrs. Louise Oliver of Sioux Center and Mrs. Wilmer (Kathleen) Altena of Rock Valley; one brother, Rev. Henry of Pella; one sister, Johanna Punt of Sioux Center; 50 grandchildren, 68 great grandchildren and three great great grandchildren.

Source: Sioux Center News, Aug. 22, 1984.
A similar obituary appears in the Rock Valley Bee, Aug. 22, 1984.

The Minnesota Death Certificates Index gives his mother's maiden name as Schoep. Death certificate ID# 1984-MN-021463.

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An article on an 84th birthday open house (Sioux Center News, Nov. 12, 1975) gives additional biographical data, as well as a photograph. He farmed in the Middleburg area, two miles north and three miles east of Sioux Center, retiring in the 1950s. He recently resigned as a member of the Sioux Center Community Hospital Association Board after serving for 24 years, and served for many years as president of the Sioux Center Cooperative Creamery. He taught Sunday school for 45 years and catechism for 38 years, was a county township trustee for many years, served 30 years as a member of the Welcome Township school board, and was a member of the board of trustees of Northwestern College for 30 years.