Rose Frank, 101, Dickinson, died peacefully Friday, June 9, 2017 at home surrounded by her family. Rose’s Mass of Christian Burial will be 10 a.m., Tuesday, June 13, 2017 at St. Wenceslaus Catholic Church, Dickinson with Msgr. Patrick Schumacher as the celebrant. Interment will take place at St. Pius Cemetery, Schefield. Visitation will be Monday, 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. with a St. Pius Verein Rosary and Vigil at 7 p.m. at Ladbury Funeral Service, Dickinson with Deacon Bob Stockert presiding.
Rose Schoch was born March 21, 1916, on a farm residence in the Schefield (St. Pius) area to Anton and Isabella (Berger) Schoch. She attended the St. Pius Catholic School and lived on the family farm until age 16, when she went to work at St. Mary’s Hospital in Rochester, Minn., for almost five years. Shortly after her return to Schefield she married a grade school classmate, the love of her life, Ralph Frank on October 4, 1938.
Their first adventure together was farming south of New England. Subsequent years saw them move to a farm in Elmdale, Minn., followed by almost annual moves to a series of small towns in Minnesota, Bowlus, Little Falls, Wadena and back to Little Falls, all while raising a growing family. In 1959, they moved back to New England where Ralph and Rose owned a Red Owl Store. They continued their life-long working partnership when they closed the Red Owl Store and bought the Super Value Store in New England, where they worked until they retired to Dickinson. Ralph was restless in retirement and worked a few jobs before they accepted a position in Medora, managing the Joe Ferris Store for a rewarding 18 years. They looked back on the time there as among the best years of their lives.
Rose was bright, witty, compassionate and tenacious. She was a good wife, good mother, and good friend, which was evidenced when close to 250 people joined in the celebration of her life on her 100th birthday; she closed down the Verein Hall that night. She was religious, but had a secular sense of humor. In living a full and meaningful life in the service of her family, friends and community she often reminded her children of the Energizer Bunny, confident, at times even sassy with a wink and a smile, and always keeping going even when life was most challenging. She was even-keeled through-out the joys and sorrows of a long life shared with her large family and friends. During her last days she called her children her heroes. She was a heroine in their lives, as she instilled the virtues of honesty, hard work, compassion and a respect for all, in short, living out the golden rule.
When she wasn’t working and raising her children (often caught up in a litany of names to get to the culprit), she enjoyed working crossword puzzles, playing cards, sewing and dancing with Ralph. To her last days she keenly followed current events and often made pungent comments about them.
Rose is survived by her children, Bob (Arva), Judy (Ben), Denis (Lauren), Jane, Gary (Sarah), Bonnie (Don), Charlie, Mary (Dave) and Peggy; 21 grandchildren; 41 great-grandchildren; ten great-great grandchildren; and numerous nieces and nephews.
She is preceded in death by her husband, Ralph on September 28, 2007; her parents; siblings, Valentine, Katherine, Sister Mary, Jerome, Veronica, Matilda, Eva and Adam; son-in-law, Dwayne Pekas; granddaughters, Kelly Frank, Teri Pekas and Lisa Pekas. In lieu of flowers, please make a memorial gift to CHI Health at Home (Hospice).
