Frances East

Frances East, 85, of Stanhope, died Sunday, March 4, 2012 at the Van Diest Medical Center surrounded by her loving family. Funeral services will be held at 1:00 p.m. Thursday at Asbury United Methodist Church, with Rev. Linda Bibb and Pastor Gina Spohnheimer officiating. Burial will be in the South Marion Cemetery, southwest of Stanhope. Visitation will be at the Foster Funeral and Cremation Center from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Wednesday and at the church prior to the service. Frances Elaine, usually called Fran or Frannie, was born December 4, 1926 in Boone to Hugh and Edith Borg Hayes. She was the youngest of five children born within six years. By the time Frannie was four the United States was well into the Great Depression and it took its toll on this young family. Hugh and Edith divorced and the family went in different directions: Hugh went to California and the oldest son, Richard ended up with him. Edith took the oldest daughter, Lorrie and moved to Rockford, IL. Middle child, brother, Gene was placed into an orphanage. The two youngest girls, Patti and Frannie, were adopted by a Stanhope farm couple, Theodore and Ethel Sudderberg Lundquist. The children of Hugh and Edith Hayes were never all together at one time for 58 years. Frannie and Patti grew up in the loving Lundquist home southwest of Stanhope. Fran attended South Marion Methodist Church as she grew up. She went to rural school through eighth grade and graduated from Stanhope High School in 1944. Frannie was a good student excelling in typing and business classes and participating in basketball and softball (which continued on later in her life). She was small but mighty---a scrapper. Frannie was a tomboy and was more likely found outside helping her father with farming than being in the house with her mother cooking and sewing. She did play the piano and was taught to play the guitar by a hired hand on the farm. She did a lot of singing with both instruments in her youth, including yodeling. Following high school, Fran worked in a bank at Stanhope before and immediately after getting married. Later, she worked at the Stanhope Grocery Store and had her own store, Fran's Fun and Fashions. On February 24, 1946, she married William (Bill) East at the South Marion Methodist Church. Together they farmed and raised their family on their farm west of Stanhope. In 1977, they moved to Stanhope. They were married 62 years when Bill died on January 21, 2009. Frannie is survived by her son and daughters-in-law, Daryl and Robin East of Pilot Mound; Linda East of Cedar Rapids; daughters and sons-in-law, Donna and Hugh Weigel of Story City; Diana and Rod Patterson of Stanhope; grandchildren, Brandon (Kristy) East; Justin (Stephanie) East; Ryan (Annette) East; Kenton East; Stacy (Mike) Bowdish; Brad (Courtney) east; Katie Weigel; 14 great-grandchildren; sisters, Lorrie Johnson of Fort Bragg, CA; Patti Crim of Stanhope; several nieces and nephews. In addition to her husband, she was preceded in death by her parents; son, Dan in 2000; brothers, Dick and Gene Hayes. Fran and Bill loved watching their kids and grandkids play sports. They enjoyed playing cards, playing board games, growing roses and going to Praire Meadows and Tama. She had a great sense of humor, to know her was to love her. She was a member of the Asbury United Methodist Church, a former member of the Webster City Moose Family Center and a former member of the Grace United Methodist Church in Stanhope where she was active circle meetings and Ladies Aid. Write a personal tribute or light a virtual candle for the East family at www.fosterfuneralandcremation.com