Frances (Boespflug) Heick, 98, Dickinson, died on Wednesday, February 22, 2023 at St. Benedict’s Health Center, Dickinson. There will be a Mass for Frances at 10:30 a.m., Friday, March 3, 2023 at St. Mary’s Catholic Church, New England with Fr. Dennis Schafer as celebrant. Interment will take place at St. Mary’s Cemetery, New England. Visitation will be from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. with a rosary and vigil at 7 p.m. on Thursday at Ladbury Funeral Service, Dickinson with Deacon Victor Dvorak presiding. Visitation will continue one hour prior to the service at the church on Friday.
Frances Boespflug was born to John (Johanna) and Mary Eva (Senn) Boespflug on April 1, 1924 in New Leipzig. During her childhood years she lived in New Leipzig area on a small farm. In her teens, she moved with her parents and siblings to a farm north of the West Rainy Buttes in New England.
On June 8, 1942 Frances married Joe Heick, a local farm neighbor. In the early years of marriage they moved frequently from one rental farm to another until they purchased and settled on their own family farm ten miles west of New England. On that small farm they had a menagerie of farm animals and persevered with growing many different types of crops. During this union Frances and Joe were blessed with seven children, Marlys, Leon, Larry, Linda, Raymond, Darrel and Ramona. All the children attended and graduated from St. Mary’s Catholic Grade and High Schools. Frances and Joe remained on the family farm until Joe’s passing in 1985. Frances then moved to Dickinson where she lived until her passing on February 22, 2023, just a few weeks short of turning 99 years old.
Frances was a loving mother and doting grandmother, great-grandmother and great-great-grandmother. She was a hard working farm wife and always looking forward to family gatherings and delighted in cooking delicious meals for family and friends. Frances was an amazing cook often making German noodles, Knoephla soup, fried chicken, potato salad, homemade sausage (family recipe) and scrumptious pastries, pies and desserts. She loved playing cards, dancing polkas, and waltzes and having a big garden which yielded a basement full of canned goods to last through the winter. She was a member of St. Mary’s Altar Guild Society.
Frances enjoyed traveling in her retirement years frequently visiting her daughter and family and brother-in-law’s family in Northern California and taking family trips with various family members to Reno, Hawaii, Los Angeles, Mexico, Florida and especially a pilgrimage to Medjugorje.
Frances was preceded in death by her husband, Joe Heick; daughter, Ramona Heick; son-in-law, John Heidrich; as well as her parents and all of her siblings.
She is survived by her children, Marlys Heidrich, Leon (Alicia) Heick, Larry (Betty) Heick, Linda (Richard) Kilzer, Raymond (Shirley) Heick and Darrel (Laurie) Heick; grandchildren, John (Jessie) Heidrich, Brent Heick, Royce (Denise) Heick, Travis (Tammy) Heick, Michelle Dowell (Travis Klabo), Angel (Troy) Kessel, Shawn (Heather) Heick, Sarah (Anthony) Black, Lynn (Josh) Halvorson, Chad Heick, Dustin (Jayme) Heick and Derrick (Shannon) Heick; great-grandchildren, Rowan Heick, Paige Heick, Kaytlyn Heick, Megan Heick, Brady Dowell, Kylie Dowell, Ashlyn Kessel, Alyssa Kessel, Trace Kessel, Kennedy Black, Lincoln Black, Haddie Heick, Caden Heick, Jamie Kindem, Kaylie Kindem (Jaymz Thompson), Hunter Heick, Ramona Heick, Helen Heick, Alice Heick, Leighton Heick, Chase Heick and Beckett Heick; and great-great-granddaughter, Persephone Thompson.
In lieu of flowers the family prefers memorials to St. Benedict’s Health Center, Dickinson.
