Frana, Lawrence Louis 1920 - 2012
FRANA, KALEC, TAYLOR, STEENSLAND, KLIMENKO, WEIERKE, HOWARD, STEWART, LOESCH, KLIMESH, WENTHOLD
Posted By: Joy Moore (email)
Date: 2/27/2013 at 17:18:53
Lawrence “Larry” Frana, age 91, of Calmar, IA. died Sunday, August 19, 2012 at the Ossian Senior Hospice in Ossian, IA.
Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11:00 a.m., Friday, August 24, 2012, at St. Aloysius Catholic Church, 304 South Maryville St., Calmar, IA, with Rev. Donald Hawes presiding. Burial will be in the church cemetery.
Friends may call from 3:00-7:00 p.m., on Thursday at the Schluter – Balik Funeral Home, French Chapel, 202 South Washington Street, Calmar, IA. There will be a rosary at 4:00 p.m. on Thursday. There also will be visitation after 10:00 a.m., at the church on Friday morning.
Lawrence Louis “Larry” Frana was born on September 16, 1920, the son of Frank and Barbara (Kalec) Frana in Calmar, Iowa. Larry attended St. Aloysius Catholic School and Calmar High School. He worked on the family farm until Larry’s father bought Calmar Bottling Works in 1937. At the age of sixteen, he drove a truck to St. Paul to pick up beer to be distributed. Larry was united in marriage to Harriet Taylor on September 22, 1941, at St. Wenceslaus Catholic Church in Spillville, Iowa, and they had three sons: Gary, Loren and Craig. Larry served in the US Army in the Philippines from 1944-46. He returned to Calmar and operated Frana Beer, along with his father and his brother, Ed Frana until he retired in 1985. Over the years, they sold Schmidt, Old Style, Pabst Blue Ribbon, Miller and Coors beer, as well as Coke, Pepsi and Nehi products. Larry’s hobbies included working. He repaired all neon signs, gas gauges and beer faucets, which he did until he entered the nursing home six months ago. He enjoyed drinking coffee and visiting with his friends in Calmar and Spillville, and a good Polka. Larry was a member of St. Aloysius Catholic Church, 67 year member of the Halverson – Giesen American Legion Post #266, the Iowa Beer Wholesalers Association, founding member of the Calmar Development Group and past member of the South Winneshiek Golf Course.
Larry is survived by his three sons: Gary (Jackie) Frana, Reno, NV; Loren (Darcy) Frana, Jordan, MN; and Craig (Shirl) Frana, Calmar, IA. Eight grandchildren: G. Thomas Frana, Pamela (Ryan) Steensland, Laura (Kurt) Klimenko, John Frana, Dylan Frana, Chynna Frana, Chad Weierke and Corey Weierke. Nine great grandchildren: Cassandra (Chad) Howard, Natasha Frana, G. Joseph Frana, Benjamin Klimenko, Alexander Klimenko, Samantha Steensland, Blake Steensland, Cassandra Stewart and Kianna Stewart. Sisters-in-law: Bea Frana, Calmar, IA, Angela Loesch, Spillville, IA; Arlene Klimesh, Fort Atkinson, IA; and Camilla Taylor, New Hampton, IA; Brother-in-law: Howard (Clarabelle) Taylor, Spillville, IA.
Larry was preceded in death his parents: Frank and Barbara (Kalec) Frana. His wife: Harriett Frana on Feb. 6, 1997. One great grandson: Grant Steensland on June 6, 2010. One sister: Dorothy (Rudy) Wenthold on Sept. 14, 1999. One brother: Edward “Eddie” Frana on April 12, 2005.
Source: Schluter - Balik Funeral Home database
St. Aloysius Cemetery
Winneshiek Obituaries maintained by Bruce Kuennen.
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