Franklin B. PITKIN

PITKIN, BOESHART, SPENCER, THEILAN, BITKER, WATERMILLER, SCHWARTZ

Posted By: Sarah Thorson Little (email)
Date: 8/6/2010 at 12:24:04

July 5, 1996
Mason City (Iowa) Globe Gazette

August 29, 1918 -- July 1, 1996

MASON CITY, IA -- Franklin B. Pitkin, 77, of 1812 S. Harding Ave., died Monday (July 1, 1996) at North Iowa Mercy Health Center East. Funeral services will be held at 10:30 a.m. Saturday at the Rolling Acres Christian Reformed Church, 340 20th St. S.W., with the Rev. Jack Vanden Heuvel officiating. The organist will be Zelda Elwood, with duets sung by Dr. Mick and Mrs. Judy Vanden Bosch. The selections for the duet will be "Someday We'll Understand," "When We See Christ" and "In The Garden Medley." The congregation will sing, "Under His Wings." Pallbearers will be James Pitkin, Doug Bitker, Galen Pitkin, Wayne Koehler, Bill Trask and Jay Pitkin. Burial will be at the Meservey Cemetery, Meservey, with full military rites performed at the graveside by the Mason City Memorial Association. Visitation will be held from 4 to 8 p.m. today at the Major Erickson Funeral Home, 111 N. Pennsylvania Ave., with the family receiving friends from 6 to 8 p.m. There will be further visitation one hour prior to services at the church on Saturday. Memorials may be given to the Rolling Acres Christian Reformed Church in memory of Franklin B. Pitkin.

Franklin B. Pitkin was born Aug. 29, 1918, the son of Austin and Nellie (Schwartz) Pitkin, in Grant Township, near Miller, Iowa, in Hancock County. He was raised northwest of Clear Lake and attended Grant Township School. Franklin enlisted in the United States Army and served from 1941 to 1943 with the Field Artillery group and was stationed in Oklahoma, Texas and Louisiana. Franklin married Elaine Watermiller on Sept. 29, 1951. Franklin worked many years for Montgomery Wards installing plumbing and heating equipment. He then worked several years for Ray E. Pauley as a journeyman sheet metal worker, retiring due to his health. Franklin enjoyed fishing, deer hunting with relatives, playing checkers and family birthday parties with his brothers and sisters. For several years, Franklin and Elaine wintered at Apache Junction, Ariz. He was a member of the Rolling Acres Christian Reformed Church, Disabled American Veterans and the Sheet metal Workers Union.

He is survived by his wife, Elaine Pitkin of Mason City; his three daughters, Carol Ann Boeshart and her husband, Fletcher, of Forest City, and twins, Dixie Lee Spencer and her husband, Gary, of Clear Lake, and Diana Lynn Theilan and her husband, James, of Clear Lake; several grandchildren and great-grandchildren; one sister, Goldie Bitker (Mrs. LeRoy) of Clear Lake; three brothers, Sherwood Pitkin and his wife, Marian, of Clear Lake, Ivan Pitkin and his wife, Geraldine, of Clear Lake, and Curtis Pitkin and his wife, Luella, of Andrew, Texas; several nieces and nephews;and one sister-in-law, Doris Pitkin, of Clear Lake. He was preceded in death by his parents; and two brothers, Virgil and Norval Pitkin.