Obit: Frane, Donald Victor (1927 - 2008)
Contact: Carol (Purkis) Mitte
Email: mcmitte@tds.net

Surnames: Frane, Engeldinger, Mishlig, Schneider, Jakel, Kilty, Navarro, Clement, White, Allar, Feiten, Kneiss

---Source: Marshfield News Herald (Marshfield, Wood County Wis.) 03/24/2008

---Frane, Donald Victor (23 Nov. 1927 - 21 Mar. 2008)

Donald V. Frane, 80, of Colby died on March 21, 2008, at home with his family at his side and under the compassionate care of Ministry Home Care Hospice.

Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11 a.m. Tuesday at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Colby. The Rev. John Gualbert will officiate. Kathleen Slipek will provide music. Burial will be in St. Mary's Catholic Church Cemetery. Serving as pallbearers will be Donald's grandsons: Dale Frane, Jeremy Jakel, Donald Kilty, Eric and Kyle Frane.

Friends may call from 4 to 8 p.m. Monday at the Maurina-Schilling Funeral Home-Abbotsford with a rosary service at 7 p.m. Visitation will also be from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. Tuesday at the funeral home.

Donald Victor Frane was born on Nov. 23, 1927, in the town of Colby to Victor J. Frane and Catherine (Engledinger) Frane. He attended Colby schools, graduating in 1945.

On Jan. 14, 1950, at St. Bernard’s Catholic Church in Abbotsford, Donald was united in holy marriage to the former Mary Ann R. Michlig. The couple made their home in Colby.

Mr. Frane owned and operated Don-Ann Dairy with his wife Mary Ann. Don was "The Milkman," delivering dairy products for Fairmont Dairy. Donnie was employed at several other businesses including Wick Building Systems in Spencer, Tesmer’s Plumbing & Heating and the Abbotsford Housing Authority prior to retiring.

Donald was a member of St. Mary's Catholic Church in Colby. He cherished the time he could spend with his family. Some activities that Donnie enjoyed were shooting pool, being outdoors, and relishing all nature, hunting and fishing, woodworking, raising livestock and especially sharing his humor. For many years, he raced stock cars, a passion he passed on to several of his children.

He is lovingly survived by his wife of 58 years, Mary Ann; his children: Gene (Barbara) Frane of Rhinelander, Gary (Yvonne) Frane of Willard, Allen (Carolyn) Frane of Colby, Roger (Laura) Frane of Curtiss, Darlene (Daniel) Schneider of Stratford, Karen Jakel of New Lisbon, Joseph (Linda) Frane of Stratford, Janice (James) Kilty of Spencer, Julie (Sergio) Navarro of Conway, Ariz. and Cathy (Joe) Clement of Abbotsford. Donald is further survived by 29 grandchildren; and one sister: Catherine White of Eagle Point, Ore.

Besides his parents, an infant daughter; Mary; two grandchildren: Grace and Amanda Clement; two great-grandchildren: Misty Schneider and Peter Feit, seven siblings: Art, Al, Ed, Ted and Vince Frane, Lucille Allar and Evelyn Kneiss and one son-in-law: Charles Jakel, preceded Mr. Frane in death.