Frank Barnes was born July 11, 1895 in Salt Lake City, Utah to Amy (White) and Henry Barnes. He lived at 711 5th Avenue all his life until his marriage. He was the seventh child of nine that included three other brothers, William Henry, Lawrence Valentine,Sr., Bernard Albert and five sisters, Louie, Mary Ellis, Mabel, Charlotte, and Ada. He was from Utah pioneer stock, his mother coming to the Salt Lake Valley in 1862 by ox wagon.
When he was very young, Frank learned to play drums. Music became a very important part of his life. He loved it and played in the orchestra at the old American Theater in Salt Lake for stage shows and musicals. He also played in an orchestra in super clubs, being one of the first to introduce syncopation and jazz to Utah. In the early to mid-1930's Frank was one of Red Nichol's drummers in the famous band, Red Nichol's & the 5 Pennies. When Paul Whiteman, the great bandleader, came through Salt Lake he asked Frank to come to New York and join his orchestra, but Frank stayed in Salt Lake. In the late 1920's he trained a sextet of girl singers who were called The Silver Echo Sextet. They sang at many functions. Frank could whistle well and you could often hear him whistling a tune as he stood in the kitchen cooking a meal or walking around the house. Even in his later years when he had little breathe he whistled in a whispered, airy sound.
Frank Barnes gave himself a middle initial and later middle name that was not legalized. It appears on some of his marriage licenses and legal papers. It was "H" and "Harrison." In a letter sent in 1974 to Linda Dinkel, his step-granddaughter, Frank explained. He wrote, "I really and truly do not have a middle initial. I was blessed in the 21st Ward, my old ward with the name, just Frank Barnes. When I started to work for the railroad in 1917 we had a fellow working in a subsidiary company to ours with the same name. It seems he had two or three charge accounts at Varron's Store where I had them too. The stores were always getting our bank account and charge accounts all mixed up by putting his charges and bank charges in my accounts. It happened so many times it got exasperating and I said to myself, I'll take a middle initial. I had no thought of the name Harrison at the time. The mix-ups all stopped and so as time went on I left it that way. As to the Harrison end of it, one noontime at the office one of the fellows asked me what my middle name was and I told him "none." There were several fellows there and one of them said, "I'll bet its Harrison." And that stayed with me. My sisters and anyone in my family knows perfectly well that I have no middle initial or name. My birth certificate states "Frank Barnes" and that's the story. Well now you know and that is the truth."
In his earlier years Frank's occupation was a barber. In the 1930's he got on with the Union Pacific Railroad for whom he worked for most of his life working as an (Claims) Investigator. This kept him on the road and the rails, constantly as it covered the entire western United States. He really enjoyed his work.
On August 16, 1916 Frank married Pearl Margaret Fowler in Salt Lake City, Utah. They had four children all born in Salt Lake City; the first born was stillborn June 19, 1917. They then had Bransford Fowler (Bud), born June 10, 1918, Donna Elaine, born February 20, 1920 and the baby, Frank, Jr., born June 2, 1925. Heart breakingly, Pearl died June 2, 1925 from giving birth. Frank, Jr. died eleven months later from whooping cough, May 8, 1926. This was a difficult time for Frank, as he had loved Pearl so much.
Over the next ten years he remarried three times. His second wife was Ruth Coombs; married January 13, 1930 and third wife, Irene Manwaring (marriage date unknown). It was Frank's forth wife, Helen Charlotte (Parker) Morriss, to whom he was married for most of his life. Helen and Frank were married October 3, 1936 in Salt Lake. They had a beautiful daughter they named Eleanor Patricia. Helen was previously married and had a daughter who was ten years old when Patsy was born. The girls grew up to be very close, including their love and lifelong close ties with Frank's oldest daughter, Donna.
For most of their marriage Frank and Helen lived at 1041 McClelland Street in Salt Lake City. Their home was a few doors down the street from Helen's parent's home. Her daughter, Jeanne lived there with her grandparents. When Frank was not on the road he was chief cook and bottle washer as he was a wonderful cook. His pork loin roasts really were unmatched. He adored Helen and was the most patient man on earth with her. The cards he gave Helen during their life are some of the most romantic expressions of love a man could give, also little poems he cut out and gave to her. Helen saved them all in scrapbooks that still exist in the family. Although Jeanne was not his own, he treated her as if she were. In a letter he wrote to Jeanne in 1973 he said, "Jeanne, you are so thoughtful and kind and whether you know it or not, I have loved you so dearly through the past years. You have been such a wonderful mother and I know your whole family is all so proud of you." Frank wrote letters often to his family who were not near him. He loved and really enjoyed all of them. His grandchildren adored him. To Jeanne's children he "is" their grandpa.
Because Frank had railway passage anytime on the Union Pacific he got free passage for Helen to travel to Hemet, California to visit Jeanne and the family every year. A couple of times Jeanne and her children rode the train to Salt Lake to visit. Pat and Helen traveled to California a few times too. It was always exciting to see the train appear on the platform of the Riverside Union Pacific station, bringing dear relatives for a visit.
Frank had always smoked a lot, eventually developing emphyzema. For years it did not stop him from what he enjoyed doing. He had a portable oxygen tank he took with him as he drove to and from wherever went. In the early 1970's Helen began having major health problems with her stomach. Frank did all he could to care for her and the house but with his breathing becoming ever worse he could not keep it up. Both of them needed around-the-clock care. It was decided if they would consent to move to Riverside, California where their granddaughter, Linda, lived she would care for them attending to do all that was needed. This was an enormously difficult decision but they knew they had to leave Salt Lake. In October 1976 Frank and Helen were flown with the assistance of son-in-law, Garn Stanworth, to California. This was such a traumatic decision that the move nearly killed Helen. A small condo in Linda's neighborhood became their new home. Helen developed agonizing neuropathy in all her limbs. In those days there was nothing to be done for neuropathy pain. Frank's days were extremely difficult as his breathing was near impossible at times. His lungs were getting to the point that he could hardly clear them, coughing all the time. Through such misery Frank stayed his ever-positive, cheerful self. Frank's daughter, Donna, who lived in the LA area, came constantly to help Linda and be near her dad and Helen. They had always been very close.
Helen passed away May 11, 1977 in Riverside. Donna found a wonderful place for Frank to live in Montrose, California. The Mountview Retirement residence was close to her home in La Cresenta. He made many friends with the staff and other residents. He always commented on how delicious the meals were and how easy his life was with everything taken care of. Donna had Frank to her home every few days for dinner and a day out. Over the next year, between 1978 and 1979, his condition worsened. He was in and out of the hospital most of the time. Just when it seemed he would not pull through he would. He was such a fighter. But in March 1979 he had to move into a nursing home. Once again he became popular with the staff and nurses aides, never loosing his sense of humor…up to and including the last hour of his life. He died August 9, 1979 at Good Samaritan Hospital in Los Angeles, California from complications of emphyzema. Frank's body was flown home to Salt Lake where he was buried, per his request, next to his first wife, Pearl, at City Cemetery in Salt Lake City, Utah on Monday, August 13, 1979.
He is missed very much to this day.
When he was very young, Frank learned to play drums. Music became a very important part of his life. He loved it and played in the orchestra at the old American Theater in Salt Lake for stage shows and musicals. He also played in an orchestra in super clubs, being one of the first to introduce syncopation and jazz to Utah. In the early to mid-1930's Frank was one of Red Nichol's drummers in the famous band, Red Nichol's & the 5 Pennies. When Paul Whiteman, the great bandleader, came through Salt Lake he asked Frank to come to New York and join his orchestra, but Frank stayed in Salt Lake. In the late 1920's he trained a sextet of girl singers who were called The Silver Echo Sextet. They sang at many functions. Frank could whistle well and you could often hear him whistling a tune as he stood in the kitchen cooking a meal or walking around the house. Even in his later years when he had little breathe he whistled in a whispered, airy sound.
Frank Barnes gave himself a middle initial and later middle name that was not legalized. It appears on some of his marriage licenses and legal papers. It was "H" and "Harrison." In a letter sent in 1974 to Linda Dinkel, his step-granddaughter, Frank explained. He wrote, "I really and truly do not have a middle initial. I was blessed in the 21st Ward, my old ward with the name, just Frank Barnes. When I started to work for the railroad in 1917 we had a fellow working in a subsidiary company to ours with the same name. It seems he had two or three charge accounts at Varron's Store where I had them too. The stores were always getting our bank account and charge accounts all mixed up by putting his charges and bank charges in my accounts. It happened so many times it got exasperating and I said to myself, I'll take a middle initial. I had no thought of the name Harrison at the time. The mix-ups all stopped and so as time went on I left it that way. As to the Harrison end of it, one noontime at the office one of the fellows asked me what my middle name was and I told him "none." There were several fellows there and one of them said, "I'll bet its Harrison." And that stayed with me. My sisters and anyone in my family knows perfectly well that I have no middle initial or name. My birth certificate states "Frank Barnes" and that's the story. Well now you know and that is the truth."
In his earlier years Frank's occupation was a barber. In the 1930's he got on with the Union Pacific Railroad for whom he worked for most of his life working as an (Claims) Investigator. This kept him on the road and the rails, constantly as it covered the entire western United States. He really enjoyed his work.
On August 16, 1916 Frank married Pearl Margaret Fowler in Salt Lake City, Utah. They had four children all born in Salt Lake City; the first born was stillborn June 19, 1917. They then had Bransford Fowler (Bud), born June 10, 1918, Donna Elaine, born February 20, 1920 and the baby, Frank, Jr., born June 2, 1925. Heart breakingly, Pearl died June 2, 1925 from giving birth. Frank, Jr. died eleven months later from whooping cough, May 8, 1926. This was a difficult time for Frank, as he had loved Pearl so much.
Over the next ten years he remarried three times. His second wife was Ruth Coombs; married January 13, 1930 and third wife, Irene Manwaring (marriage date unknown). It was Frank's forth wife, Helen Charlotte (Parker) Morriss, to whom he was married for most of his life. Helen and Frank were married October 3, 1936 in Salt Lake. They had a beautiful daughter they named Eleanor Patricia. Helen was previously married and had a daughter who was ten years old when Patsy was born. The girls grew up to be very close, including their love and lifelong close ties with Frank's oldest daughter, Donna.
For most of their marriage Frank and Helen lived at 1041 McClelland Street in Salt Lake City. Their home was a few doors down the street from Helen's parent's home. Her daughter, Jeanne lived there with her grandparents. When Frank was not on the road he was chief cook and bottle washer as he was a wonderful cook. His pork loin roasts really were unmatched. He adored Helen and was the most patient man on earth with her. The cards he gave Helen during their life are some of the most romantic expressions of love a man could give, also little poems he cut out and gave to her. Helen saved them all in scrapbooks that still exist in the family. Although Jeanne was not his own, he treated her as if she were. In a letter he wrote to Jeanne in 1973 he said, "Jeanne, you are so thoughtful and kind and whether you know it or not, I have loved you so dearly through the past years. You have been such a wonderful mother and I know your whole family is all so proud of you." Frank wrote letters often to his family who were not near him. He loved and really enjoyed all of them. His grandchildren adored him. To Jeanne's children he "is" their grandpa.
Because Frank had railway passage anytime on the Union Pacific he got free passage for Helen to travel to Hemet, California to visit Jeanne and the family every year. A couple of times Jeanne and her children rode the train to Salt Lake to visit. Pat and Helen traveled to California a few times too. It was always exciting to see the train appear on the platform of the Riverside Union Pacific station, bringing dear relatives for a visit.
Frank had always smoked a lot, eventually developing emphyzema. For years it did not stop him from what he enjoyed doing. He had a portable oxygen tank he took with him as he drove to and from wherever went. In the early 1970's Helen began having major health problems with her stomach. Frank did all he could to care for her and the house but with his breathing becoming ever worse he could not keep it up. Both of them needed around-the-clock care. It was decided if they would consent to move to Riverside, California where their granddaughter, Linda, lived she would care for them attending to do all that was needed. This was an enormously difficult decision but they knew they had to leave Salt Lake. In October 1976 Frank and Helen were flown with the assistance of son-in-law, Garn Stanworth, to California. This was such a traumatic decision that the move nearly killed Helen. A small condo in Linda's neighborhood became their new home. Helen developed agonizing neuropathy in all her limbs. In those days there was nothing to be done for neuropathy pain. Frank's days were extremely difficult as his breathing was near impossible at times. His lungs were getting to the point that he could hardly clear them, coughing all the time. Through such misery Frank stayed his ever-positive, cheerful self. Frank's daughter, Donna, who lived in the LA area, came constantly to help Linda and be near her dad and Helen. They had always been very close.
Helen passed away May 11, 1977 in Riverside. Donna found a wonderful place for Frank to live in Montrose, California. The Mountview Retirement residence was close to her home in La Cresenta. He made many friends with the staff and other residents. He always commented on how delicious the meals were and how easy his life was with everything taken care of. Donna had Frank to her home every few days for dinner and a day out. Over the next year, between 1978 and 1979, his condition worsened. He was in and out of the hospital most of the time. Just when it seemed he would not pull through he would. He was such a fighter. But in March 1979 he had to move into a nursing home. Once again he became popular with the staff and nurses aides, never loosing his sense of humor…up to and including the last hour of his life. He died August 9, 1979 at Good Samaritan Hospital in Los Angeles, California from complications of emphyzema. Frank's body was flown home to Salt Lake where he was buried, per his request, next to his first wife, Pearl, at City Cemetery in Salt Lake City, Utah on Monday, August 13, 1979.
He is missed very much to this day.
Frank Barnes was born July 11, 1895 in Salt Lake City, Utah to Amy (White) and Henry Barnes. He lived at 711 5th Avenue all his life until his marriage. He was the seventh child of nine that included three other brothers, William Henry, Lawrence Valentine,Sr., Bernard Albert and five sisters, Louie, Mary Ellis, Mabel, Charlotte, and Ada. He was from Utah pioneer stock, his mother coming to the Salt Lake Valley in 1862 by ox wagon.
When he was very young, Frank learned to play drums. Music became a very important part of his life. He loved it and played in the orchestra at the old American Theater in Salt Lake for stage shows and musicals. He also played in an orchestra in super clubs, being one of the first to introduce syncopation and jazz to Utah. In the early to mid-1930's Frank was one of Red Nichol's drummers in the famous band, Red Nichol's & the 5 Pennies. When Paul Whiteman, the great bandleader, came through Salt Lake he asked Frank to come to New York and join his orchestra, but Frank stayed in Salt Lake. In the late 1920's he trained a sextet of girl singers who were called The Silver Echo Sextet. They sang at many functions. Frank could whistle well and you could often hear him whistling a tune as he stood in the kitchen cooking a meal or walking around the house. Even in his later years when he had little breathe he whistled in a whispered, airy sound.
Frank Barnes gave himself a middle initial and later middle name that was not legalized. It appears on some of his marriage licenses and legal papers. It was "H" and "Harrison." In a letter sent in 1974 to Linda Dinkel, his step-granddaughter, Frank explained. He wrote, "I really and truly do not have a middle initial. I was blessed in the 21st Ward, my old ward with the name, just Frank Barnes. When I started to work for the railroad in 1917 we had a fellow working in a subsidiary company to ours with the same name. It seems he had two or three charge accounts at Varron's Store where I had them too. The stores were always getting our bank account and charge accounts all mixed up by putting his charges and bank charges in my accounts. It happened so many times it got exasperating and I said to myself, I'll take a middle initial. I had no thought of the name Harrison at the time. The mix-ups all stopped and so as time went on I left it that way. As to the Harrison end of it, one noontime at the office one of the fellows asked me what my middle name was and I told him "none." There were several fellows there and one of them said, "I'll bet its Harrison." And that stayed with me. My sisters and anyone in my family knows perfectly well that I have no middle initial or name. My birth certificate states "Frank Barnes" and that's the story. Well now you know and that is the truth."
In his earlier years Frank's occupation was a barber. In the 1930's he got on with the Union Pacific Railroad for whom he worked for most of his life working as an (Claims) Investigator. This kept him on the road and the rails, constantly as it covered the entire western United States. He really enjoyed his work.
On August 16, 1916 Frank married Pearl Margaret Fowler in Salt Lake City, Utah. They had four children all born in Salt Lake City; the first born was stillborn June 19, 1917. They then had Bransford Fowler (Bud), born June 10, 1918, Donna Elaine, born February 20, 1920 and the baby, Frank, Jr., born June 2, 1925. Heart breakingly, Pearl died June 2, 1925 from giving birth. Frank, Jr. died eleven months later from whooping cough, May 8, 1926. This was a difficult time for Frank, as he had loved Pearl so much.
Over the next ten years he remarried three times. His second wife was Ruth Coombs; married January 13, 1930 and third wife, Irene Manwaring (marriage date unknown). It was Frank's forth wife, Helen Charlotte (Parker) Morriss, to whom he was married for most of his life. Helen and Frank were married October 3, 1936 in Salt Lake. They had a beautiful daughter they named Eleanor Patricia. Helen was previously married and had a daughter who was ten years old when Patsy was born. The girls grew up to be very close, including their love and lifelong close ties with Frank's oldest daughter, Donna.
For most of their marriage Frank and Helen lived at 1041 McClelland Street in Salt Lake City. Their home was a few doors down the street from Helen's parent's home. Her daughter, Jeanne lived there with her grandparents. When Frank was not on the road he was chief cook and bottle washer as he was a wonderful cook. His pork loin roasts really were unmatched. He adored Helen and was the most patient man on earth with her. The cards he gave Helen during their life are some of the most romantic expressions of love a man could give, also little poems he cut out and gave to her. Helen saved them all in scrapbooks that still exist in the family. Although Jeanne was not his own, he treated her as if she were. In a letter he wrote to Jeanne in 1973 he said, "Jeanne, you are so thoughtful and kind and whether you know it or not, I have loved you so dearly through the past years. You have been such a wonderful mother and I know your whole family is all so proud of you." Frank wrote letters often to his family who were not near him. He loved and really enjoyed all of them. His grandchildren adored him. To Jeanne's children he "is" their grandpa.
Because Frank had railway passage anytime on the Union Pacific he got free passage for Helen to travel to Hemet, California to visit Jeanne and the family every year. A couple of times Jeanne and her children rode the train to Salt Lake to visit. Pat and Helen traveled to California a few times too. It was always exciting to see the train appear on the platform of the Riverside Union Pacific station, bringing dear relatives for a visit.
Frank had always smoked a lot, eventually developing emphyzema. For years it did not stop him from what he enjoyed doing. He had a portable oxygen tank he took with him as he drove to and from wherever went. In the early 1970's Helen began having major health problems with her stomach. Frank did all he could to care for her and the house but with his breathing becoming ever worse he could not keep it up. Both of them needed around-the-clock care. It was decided if they would consent to move to Riverside, California where their granddaughter, Linda, lived she would care for them attending to do all that was needed. This was an enormously difficult decision but they knew they had to leave Salt Lake. In October 1976 Frank and Helen were flown with the assistance of son-in-law, Garn Stanworth, to California. This was such a traumatic decision that the move nearly killed Helen. A small condo in Linda's neighborhood became their new home. Helen developed agonizing neuropathy in all her limbs. In those days there was nothing to be done for neuropathy pain. Frank's days were extremely difficult as his breathing was near impossible at times. His lungs were getting to the point that he could hardly clear them, coughing all the time. Through such misery Frank stayed his ever-positive, cheerful self. Frank's daughter, Donna, who lived in the LA area, came constantly to help Linda and be near her dad and Helen. They had always been very close.
Helen passed away May 11, 1977 in Riverside. Donna found a wonderful place for Frank to live in Montrose, California. The Mountview Retirement residence was close to her home in La Cresenta. He made many friends with the staff and other residents. He always commented on how delicious the meals were and how easy his life was with everything taken care of. Donna had Frank to her home every few days for dinner and a day out. Over the next year, between 1978 and 1979, his condition worsened. He was in and out of the hospital most of the time. Just when it seemed he would not pull through he would. He was such a fighter. But in March 1979 he had to move into a nursing home. Once again he became popular with the staff and nurses aides, never loosing his sense of humor…up to and including the last hour of his life. He died August 9, 1979 at Good Samaritan Hospital in Los Angeles, California from complications of emphyzema. Frank's body was flown home to Salt Lake where he was buried, per his request, next to his first wife, Pearl, at City Cemetery in Salt Lake City, Utah on Monday, August 13, 1979.
He is missed very much to this day.
When he was very young, Frank learned to play drums. Music became a very important part of his life. He loved it and played in the orchestra at the old American Theater in Salt Lake for stage shows and musicals. He also played in an orchestra in super clubs, being one of the first to introduce syncopation and jazz to Utah. In the early to mid-1930's Frank was one of Red Nichol's drummers in the famous band, Red Nichol's & the 5 Pennies. When Paul Whiteman, the great bandleader, came through Salt Lake he asked Frank to come to New York and join his orchestra, but Frank stayed in Salt Lake. In the late 1920's he trained a sextet of girl singers who were called The Silver Echo Sextet. They sang at many functions. Frank could whistle well and you could often hear him whistling a tune as he stood in the kitchen cooking a meal or walking around the house. Even in his later years when he had little breathe he whistled in a whispered, airy sound.
Frank Barnes gave himself a middle initial and later middle name that was not legalized. It appears on some of his marriage licenses and legal papers. It was "H" and "Harrison." In a letter sent in 1974 to Linda Dinkel, his step-granddaughter, Frank explained. He wrote, "I really and truly do not have a middle initial. I was blessed in the 21st Ward, my old ward with the name, just Frank Barnes. When I started to work for the railroad in 1917 we had a fellow working in a subsidiary company to ours with the same name. It seems he had two or three charge accounts at Varron's Store where I had them too. The stores were always getting our bank account and charge accounts all mixed up by putting his charges and bank charges in my accounts. It happened so many times it got exasperating and I said to myself, I'll take a middle initial. I had no thought of the name Harrison at the time. The mix-ups all stopped and so as time went on I left it that way. As to the Harrison end of it, one noontime at the office one of the fellows asked me what my middle name was and I told him "none." There were several fellows there and one of them said, "I'll bet its Harrison." And that stayed with me. My sisters and anyone in my family knows perfectly well that I have no middle initial or name. My birth certificate states "Frank Barnes" and that's the story. Well now you know and that is the truth."
In his earlier years Frank's occupation was a barber. In the 1930's he got on with the Union Pacific Railroad for whom he worked for most of his life working as an (Claims) Investigator. This kept him on the road and the rails, constantly as it covered the entire western United States. He really enjoyed his work.
On August 16, 1916 Frank married Pearl Margaret Fowler in Salt Lake City, Utah. They had four children all born in Salt Lake City; the first born was stillborn June 19, 1917. They then had Bransford Fowler (Bud), born June 10, 1918, Donna Elaine, born February 20, 1920 and the baby, Frank, Jr., born June 2, 1925. Heart breakingly, Pearl died June 2, 1925 from giving birth. Frank, Jr. died eleven months later from whooping cough, May 8, 1926. This was a difficult time for Frank, as he had loved Pearl so much.
Over the next ten years he remarried three times. His second wife was Ruth Coombs; married January 13, 1930 and third wife, Irene Manwaring (marriage date unknown). It was Frank's forth wife, Helen Charlotte (Parker) Morriss, to whom he was married for most of his life. Helen and Frank were married October 3, 1936 in Salt Lake. They had a beautiful daughter they named Eleanor Patricia. Helen was previously married and had a daughter who was ten years old when Patsy was born. The girls grew up to be very close, including their love and lifelong close ties with Frank's oldest daughter, Donna.
For most of their marriage Frank and Helen lived at 1041 McClelland Street in Salt Lake City. Their home was a few doors down the street from Helen's parent's home. Her daughter, Jeanne lived there with her grandparents. When Frank was not on the road he was chief cook and bottle washer as he was a wonderful cook. His pork loin roasts really were unmatched. He adored Helen and was the most patient man on earth with her. The cards he gave Helen during their life are some of the most romantic expressions of love a man could give, also little poems he cut out and gave to her. Helen saved them all in scrapbooks that still exist in the family. Although Jeanne was not his own, he treated her as if she were. In a letter he wrote to Jeanne in 1973 he said, "Jeanne, you are so thoughtful and kind and whether you know it or not, I have loved you so dearly through the past years. You have been such a wonderful mother and I know your whole family is all so proud of you." Frank wrote letters often to his family who were not near him. He loved and really enjoyed all of them. His grandchildren adored him. To Jeanne's children he "is" their grandpa.
Because Frank had railway passage anytime on the Union Pacific he got free passage for Helen to travel to Hemet, California to visit Jeanne and the family every year. A couple of times Jeanne and her children rode the train to Salt Lake to visit. Pat and Helen traveled to California a few times too. It was always exciting to see the train appear on the platform of the Riverside Union Pacific station, bringing dear relatives for a visit.
Frank had always smoked a lot, eventually developing emphyzema. For years it did not stop him from what he enjoyed doing. He had a portable oxygen tank he took with him as he drove to and from wherever went. In the early 1970's Helen began having major health problems with her stomach. Frank did all he could to care for her and the house but with his breathing becoming ever worse he could not keep it up. Both of them needed around-the-clock care. It was decided if they would consent to move to Riverside, California where their granddaughter, Linda, lived she would care for them attending to do all that was needed. This was an enormously difficult decision but they knew they had to leave Salt Lake. In October 1976 Frank and Helen were flown with the assistance of son-in-law, Garn Stanworth, to California. This was such a traumatic decision that the move nearly killed Helen. A small condo in Linda's neighborhood became their new home. Helen developed agonizing neuropathy in all her limbs. In those days there was nothing to be done for neuropathy pain. Frank's days were extremely difficult as his breathing was near impossible at times. His lungs were getting to the point that he could hardly clear them, coughing all the time. Through such misery Frank stayed his ever-positive, cheerful self. Frank's daughter, Donna, who lived in the LA area, came constantly to help Linda and be near her dad and Helen. They had always been very close.
Helen passed away May 11, 1977 in Riverside. Donna found a wonderful place for Frank to live in Montrose, California. The Mountview Retirement residence was close to her home in La Cresenta. He made many friends with the staff and other residents. He always commented on how delicious the meals were and how easy his life was with everything taken care of. Donna had Frank to her home every few days for dinner and a day out. Over the next year, between 1978 and 1979, his condition worsened. He was in and out of the hospital most of the time. Just when it seemed he would not pull through he would. He was such a fighter. But in March 1979 he had to move into a nursing home. Once again he became popular with the staff and nurses aides, never loosing his sense of humor…up to and including the last hour of his life. He died August 9, 1979 at Good Samaritan Hospital in Los Angeles, California from complications of emphyzema. Frank's body was flown home to Salt Lake where he was buried, per his request, next to his first wife, Pearl, at City Cemetery in Salt Lake City, Utah on Monday, August 13, 1979.
He is missed very much to this day.
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