Frances "Frankie" King Obituary (1924 - 2025)

Frances “Frankie” King, 100, of Oelwein, Iowa, died Thursday evening, February 27, 2025, at Oelwein Health Care Center in Oelwein. Memorial services will be held at a later date. Memorials may be directed in her memory to P.E.O. Chapter CL or Grace United Methodist Church in Oelwein. Frances (Frankie) King went to her Lord and Savior on February 27, 2025 at age 100. She was born on September 25, 1924 at 15 6th Ave. S.E. in Oelwein, Iowa. She was the third daughter of John and Florence Kvasnicka. As a child, she enjoyed playing with her two sisters, especially playing jacks and taking family Sunday car rides. They took a camping trip to CA when she was four years old and returned through Cedar Rapids. Her family moved to Cedar Rapids for a short time when her father, John, bought a shoe store there. They returned to Oelwein when he resumed ownership of The Modern Shoe Shop. At Oelwein Community High School, Frankie was active in choir, band, the annual and register staff and French club. She participated in several vocal competitions and sang in the Grace United Methodist Church choir. She met her future husband, Royce King in high school and they were crowned King and Queen of a “Giggleteria” dance. Frankie was the Worthy Advisor for Rainbow Girls. She was also active in the Witzigman Fellowship at church. After graduating high school in 1942, Frankie attended Cornell College in Mt. Vernon Iowa for two years. She later transferred to the University of Iowa in Iowa City for a summer, moving there to accept a job offer for Dr. William Paul in a hospital laboratory where he was searching, and later found, a method to buffer aspirin’s toxic side effects. Royce had enlisted in the US Army Air Corps and was training to become a pilot in the Army Air Force. Frankie married Royce King when he took a leave on September 16, 1944. They were married at Grace United Methodist Church in Oelwein with the Rev. F.C. Witzigman officiating, and friends Mary O’Brien Duffy and Jack McDonnell as maid of honor and best man. Their home was near George Field for five months until Royce was called to active duty piloting a C47 in the China-Burma-India Theater of WWII. Frankie lived in Cedar Rapids, Iowa and worked as a dental assistant for Dr. Vane until Royce returned and later made their home in Oelwein again. She was active in the Order of Eastern Star and sang again in the Grace United Methodist church choir. She enjoyed The Jr. Women’s’ Club and later branched out to Tri T’s. Royce and Frankie purchased their first home at 227 3rd Ave. S.E. in Oelwein in 1948. They briefly moved to a home with her parents on North Frederick while they built and moved into their current home at 112 6th St N.E. in 1953. Frankie enjoyed being a Cub Scout Den leader and a member of the Methodist Mothers’ Club. She joined P.E.O. in 1970 and attended Tuesday Tourist Club and played in the church bell choir. Frankie was a homemaker while her two children were young and later worked as a dental assistant for Dr. Jerry Sheckel and as a florist for Mary Lou’s Flowers, the Flower Chalet, and Buds and Blossoms. After retirement, she and Royce loved to take grandchildren on road trips and go RV camping with family and friends. They loved to travel, especially to the Great Lakes area, National Parks, Hawaii and the Czech Republic. They enjoyed several cruises, including Alaska and Nova Scotia. Frankie excelled at many crafts including sewing, needlepoint and knitting. Along with her sisters, Eleanor and Marcia, she hand-crafted needlepoint communion kneeling cushions for the alter rail that Grace Methodist Church uses today. Frankie and her sister Eleanor were part of the church Altar Committee for several years, having duties to appoint seasonally appropriate altar decorations and decorate the sanctuary at Christmas time. It was a joyful duty for them both. She knitted countless beautiful sweaters, blankets and over 100 prayer shawls for the Prayer Shawl Ministry. Frankie loved to entertain family and friends and was well known for her parties and wonderful cooking and baking. She made homemade marzipan candies and baked numerous kinds of Christmas cookies. She honored her Czech heritage by baking kolaches, sharing a Christmas specialty: springerli cookies, and providing hundreds of loaves of hoska to many friends. She also canned and froze many fruits, vegetables and jams. She also served her community in many ways. She volunteered in the Oelwein Hospital gift shop and the Fontana Nature Center. Frankie contributed time and baked goods to many fund-raisers such as the Oelwein Library and Oelwein schools. She also provided and arranged many altar flowers for church. Frankie was known as the “cookie Lady” to her neighborhood children and was always willing to offer a helping hand. Frankie absolutely loved to play bridge and was in several clubs and tournaments. She continued to win tournaments well into her 90’s. She adored her Faith and Friends group, Fab Four Bridge group, “Wineberries”, Renewal Fellowship, several very kind neighbors and her family. Frankie lived her life with a great love for God, family, friends and community. She was preceded in death by her husband of 77 years: Royce, her parents: John and Florence Kvasnicka and two sisters, Eleanor (James) Larson and Marcia (Robert) Dykema. She leaves behind her children, James (Brenda) King of Davenport, IA and Susan (Jim) Bilodeau of Chico CA, 5 grand-children, 8 great grand-children and will be missed deeply.