Duane Franks
Duane Roland Franks, 79, of Waukon died Friday, November 8, 2024, at Gundersen Lutheran Medical Center in La Crosse, WI. Funeral services will be held Thursday, November 14 at 11 a.m. at Zion United Church of Christ in Waukon with Pastor Cathy Jurgens officiating. Burial will be at Taylorsville Cemetery in Arlington.
Friends may greet the family from 10 a.m. until time of services at the church Thursday. Martin-Grau Funeral Home in Waukon is handling the arrangements.
Duane Roland Franks was born November 25, 1944, in Oelwein, the son of Charlie and Rosie (Jacobsen) Franks and the oldest of seven siblings. He graduated from Valley High School in Elgin in 1962. Before entering the United States Army in 1965 during the Vietnam War, Duane was a carpenter for businesses in Volga and Lamont. Following the First-Class Hawk Fire Control Crewman Training, as a soldier with the 32nd Air Defense Command he was deployed to the 7th Army Training Base in Grafenwöhr, Germany, assigned to electronic missile maintenance. Sergeant E5 Duane Franks was honorably discharged in 1967.
After his military service, Duane returned to the carpentry profession and helped on the family farm. August 15, 1970, he married Eileen Reth at the Methodist Church in Arlington. They made their home in Monticello, where Duane worked at Monty Produce. In 1975, they moved to Waukon, where he worked in the machine maintenance and carpentry areas for Northern Engraving for over 30 years.
In 1982, Duane and Eileen became proud parents with the birth of their daughter, Crystal. Duane was a superior father to and for his daughter and Crystal was, and still is, a superior daughter to and for her father.
Duane was a member of Zion United Church of Christ in Waukon and has been a member of his hometown American Legion Post 631 in Wadena for 25 years. During his retirement years, he returned to his hobbies and enjoyed having more time to spend with family and friends.
Duane enjoyed watching his family’s growth and successes, art work created by his grandchildren, reading, working puzzles, coon hunting, and receiving Best of Breed honors at dog show competitions. He enjoyed cutting wood for wood burning stoves, and carpentry work, mushroom and deer hunting, and fishing with his family, watching their delight when reeling in a catch. Duane also enjoyed listening to polka and traditional country music, spending time with family and friends, and being a planner and provider in supporting his family in the past and for the future.
As Duane’s immediate family, we honor and respect him for his thoughtfulness and caring in providing for us, our needs, likes, and wants. We are highly thankful for the time we have had to share his life with him; an honorable Christian and a respected gentleman.
Survivors include his wife, Eileen Franks of Waukon; his daughter, Crystal (Andy) Gassman of Big Lake, MN; his grandchildren, Tayla and Jackson Gassman; two sisters, Karen (Wayne) Messler of Boone, and Linda Franks of Oelwein; a brother, Garrieth (Jan) Franks of Oelwein; a brother-in-law, Gordon Davis of Fayette; several nieces and nephews; several great-nieces and great-nephews; and two great-great-nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents and three sisters, Elaine Davis, Delonace Franks, and Sharon Franks.
Casketbearers are Rick Larson, Randy Loeb, Wayne Rissman, and Andy Gassman. Online condolences may be left at www.martinfunerals.com.
