Ralph D. Frandsen

Ralph Donald Frandsen was born June 15, 1920 in rural Boelus, Nebraska to Frank and Ethel (Jacobsen) Frandsen. Ralph passed away April 25, 2012 in Colorado Springs, Colorado. He attended District 28 in Howard County and graduated from Dannebrog High School in 1937. Following graduation he farmed with his father and then went to California in 1939 to find work. When he returned to Nebraska in the fall of 1941, Ralph was drafted into the United States Army. He was assigned to the 228th Field Artillery Battalion. He went to Europe in February 1944 and returned to the United States in October 1945. Following his military discharge, he farmed with his father until he began employment with the United States Postal Service in 1952. Ralph sorted mail on the mail trains between Council Bluffs, Iowa and Cheyenne, Wyoming for many years.

In 1960, Ralph was united in marriage to Grace Koons in Omaha. In 1967, they moved to Colorado Springs, Colorado. There Ralph worked at the United States Postal Service Mail Processing Center until his retirement in 1981. Grace died in November, 1987. In 1989 he married Bernadine Shannon in Arizona. Bernadine passed away in November, 2009. He attended First Methodist Church in Colorado Springs.

Ralph was a passionate reader and an excellent photographer. He enjoyed golf and hunting. He followed the lives and careers of his nieces and nephews with great interest and was very supportive of all of them.

Ralph is survived by nieces Kathleen Christensen, Karen Frandsen and Caryl (Mark) Grorud and nephew Roger (Julie) Frandsen, 1 grand niece and 4 grand nephews and 2 great grand nephews, brother-in-law, Max Christensen, step daughter, Shirley (Jack) Silas, a step grandson, Michael and 2 step great grandsons.

He is also preceded in death by a brother, Dale, and a sister, Marjorie Christensen.

Burial will be at a later date at Fort Logan National Cemetery in Denver, CO.

Memorials may be directed to National Park Foundation, 1201 Eye Street NW Suite 550B , Washington, D.C. 20005

(or www.nationalparks.org)