Long-time Mankato/North Mankato resident, Cleota "Cleo" Francis, 83, passed away on Sunday, February 9, 1997, at St. Mary's Hospital in Rochester, MN.
Services were 2 p.m. Tuesday at St. Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church of North Mankato with the Reverend James D. Liggett officiating. Burial is in Woodland Hills Memorial Park.
Mrs. Francis was born on April 19, 1913, to Frederick and Emma (Biesterfeld) Sens on a farm near Wells. On May 11, 1931, she married Mike Francis in Red Wing where they operated the Silver Grill restaurant. The following year they moved to Chippewa Falls, where they operated a restaurant there for a short time, and then moved to Eau Claire, Wis. where they were in the restaurant business for five years. In 1937 they moved to 910 Wall Street in North Mankato and opened a restaurant in Mankato called the Silver Grill at 501 S. Front Street. They sold that restaurant in 1945 and opened another one called Mike's Cafe at 627 S. Front Street (Andersen building) which they operated that until 1960 when Mike retired. Cleo then went to work as a cook's helper and six years later became the cook manager at Mankato High (Mankato West High, Sept. 1973- ) until her retirement in 1978. She briefly returned to full-time work as the cook manager at the Hoover School from 1981-82 and then became a noon-hour supervisor at the Monroe School for several years. Mrs. Francis had sold her longtime home on Wall Street and relocated to the Eastwood Manor mobile home park in 1993. She was a very active member of St. Paul's serving in the kitchen, participating in the Evening Guild, and serving as chair and co-chair of the Family Serving Units for many years. Her family and friends were blessed by her inclusive hospitality—featuring her delicious home-made meals and desserts served in her back porch or dining room. She also knitted and crocheted for them. She lived the Christian life and is greatly missed by all her knew her.
She was survived by three sons and their wives: George and Kathy of North Mankato, Michael and Vicki of Gurnee, Ill., and Nicholas and Margaret of Maplewood; seven grandchildren, seven great-grandchildren; two brothers and their wives: Jerry and Lois Sens of North Mankato and Garfield and Adeline Sens of Mankato; three sisters: Beatrice Cole and Pauly Freese--both of Mankato, and Tootie Jackson and her husband Allen of Suisun, Calif.; two sisters-in-law: Ethel Sens of North Mankato and Marj Sens of Tempe, Ariz.; one son-in-law and his wife Jerry and Sandy Hansen of North Mankato; five step-grandchildren; and nine step-great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her husband in 1976; a daughter, Katherine "Kaye" in 1986; and two brothers.
Services were 2 p.m. Tuesday at St. Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church of North Mankato with the Reverend James D. Liggett officiating. Burial is in Woodland Hills Memorial Park.
Mrs. Francis was born on April 19, 1913, to Frederick and Emma (Biesterfeld) Sens on a farm near Wells. On May 11, 1931, she married Mike Francis in Red Wing where they operated the Silver Grill restaurant. The following year they moved to Chippewa Falls, where they operated a restaurant there for a short time, and then moved to Eau Claire, Wis. where they were in the restaurant business for five years. In 1937 they moved to 910 Wall Street in North Mankato and opened a restaurant in Mankato called the Silver Grill at 501 S. Front Street. They sold that restaurant in 1945 and opened another one called Mike's Cafe at 627 S. Front Street (Andersen building) which they operated that until 1960 when Mike retired. Cleo then went to work as a cook's helper and six years later became the cook manager at Mankato High (Mankato West High, Sept. 1973- ) until her retirement in 1978. She briefly returned to full-time work as the cook manager at the Hoover School from 1981-82 and then became a noon-hour supervisor at the Monroe School for several years. Mrs. Francis had sold her longtime home on Wall Street and relocated to the Eastwood Manor mobile home park in 1993. She was a very active member of St. Paul's serving in the kitchen, participating in the Evening Guild, and serving as chair and co-chair of the Family Serving Units for many years. Her family and friends were blessed by her inclusive hospitality—featuring her delicious home-made meals and desserts served in her back porch or dining room. She also knitted and crocheted for them. She lived the Christian life and is greatly missed by all her knew her.
She was survived by three sons and their wives: George and Kathy of North Mankato, Michael and Vicki of Gurnee, Ill., and Nicholas and Margaret of Maplewood; seven grandchildren, seven great-grandchildren; two brothers and their wives: Jerry and Lois Sens of North Mankato and Garfield and Adeline Sens of Mankato; three sisters: Beatrice Cole and Pauly Freese--both of Mankato, and Tootie Jackson and her husband Allen of Suisun, Calif.; two sisters-in-law: Ethel Sens of North Mankato and Marj Sens of Tempe, Ariz.; one son-in-law and his wife Jerry and Sandy Hansen of North Mankato; five step-grandchildren; and nine step-great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her husband in 1976; a daughter, Katherine "Kaye" in 1986; and two brothers.
Long-time Mankato/North Mankato resident, Cleota "Cleo" Francis, 83, passed away on Sunday, February 9, 1997, at St. Mary's Hospital in Rochester, MN.
Services were 2 p.m. Tuesday at St. Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church of North Mankato with the Reverend James D. Liggett officiating. Burial is in Woodland Hills Memorial Park.
Mrs. Francis was born on April 19, 1913, to Frederick and Emma (Biesterfeld) Sens on a farm near Wells. On May 11, 1931, she married Mike Francis in Red Wing where they operated the Silver Grill restaurant. The following year they moved to Chippewa Falls, where they operated a restaurant there for a short time, and then moved to Eau Claire, Wis. where they were in the restaurant business for five years. In 1937 they moved to 910 Wall Street in North Mankato and opened a restaurant in Mankato called the Silver Grill at 501 S. Front Street. They sold that restaurant in 1945 and opened another one called Mike's Cafe at 627 S. Front Street (Andersen building) which they operated that until 1960 when Mike retired. Cleo then went to work as a cook's helper and six years later became the cook manager at Mankato High (Mankato West High, Sept. 1973- ) until her retirement in 1978. She briefly returned to full-time work as the cook manager at the Hoover School from 1981-82 and then became a noon-hour supervisor at the Monroe School for several years. Mrs. Francis had sold her longtime home on Wall Street and relocated to the Eastwood Manor mobile home park in 1993. She was a very active member of St. Paul's serving in the kitchen, participating in the Evening Guild, and serving as chair and co-chair of the Family Serving Units for many years. Her family and friends were blessed by her inclusive hospitality—featuring her delicious home-made meals and desserts served in her back porch or dining room. She also knitted and crocheted for them. She lived the Christian life and is greatly missed by all her knew her.
She was survived by three sons and their wives: George and Kathy of North Mankato, Michael and Vicki of Gurnee, Ill., and Nicholas and Margaret of Maplewood; seven grandchildren, seven great-grandchildren; two brothers and their wives: Jerry and Lois Sens of North Mankato and Garfield and Adeline Sens of Mankato; three sisters: Beatrice Cole and Pauly Freese--both of Mankato, and Tootie Jackson and her husband Allen of Suisun, Calif.; two sisters-in-law: Ethel Sens of North Mankato and Marj Sens of Tempe, Ariz.; one son-in-law and his wife Jerry and Sandy Hansen of North Mankato; five step-grandchildren; and nine step-great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her husband in 1976; a daughter, Katherine "Kaye" in 1986; and two brothers.
Services were 2 p.m. Tuesday at St. Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church of North Mankato with the Reverend James D. Liggett officiating. Burial is in Woodland Hills Memorial Park.
Mrs. Francis was born on April 19, 1913, to Frederick and Emma (Biesterfeld) Sens on a farm near Wells. On May 11, 1931, she married Mike Francis in Red Wing where they operated the Silver Grill restaurant. The following year they moved to Chippewa Falls, where they operated a restaurant there for a short time, and then moved to Eau Claire, Wis. where they were in the restaurant business for five years. In 1937 they moved to 910 Wall Street in North Mankato and opened a restaurant in Mankato called the Silver Grill at 501 S. Front Street. They sold that restaurant in 1945 and opened another one called Mike's Cafe at 627 S. Front Street (Andersen building) which they operated that until 1960 when Mike retired. Cleo then went to work as a cook's helper and six years later became the cook manager at Mankato High (Mankato West High, Sept. 1973- ) until her retirement in 1978. She briefly returned to full-time work as the cook manager at the Hoover School from 1981-82 and then became a noon-hour supervisor at the Monroe School for several years. Mrs. Francis had sold her longtime home on Wall Street and relocated to the Eastwood Manor mobile home park in 1993. She was a very active member of St. Paul's serving in the kitchen, participating in the Evening Guild, and serving as chair and co-chair of the Family Serving Units for many years. Her family and friends were blessed by her inclusive hospitality—featuring her delicious home-made meals and desserts served in her back porch or dining room. She also knitted and crocheted for them. She lived the Christian life and is greatly missed by all her knew her.
She was survived by three sons and their wives: George and Kathy of North Mankato, Michael and Vicki of Gurnee, Ill., and Nicholas and Margaret of Maplewood; seven grandchildren, seven great-grandchildren; two brothers and their wives: Jerry and Lois Sens of North Mankato and Garfield and Adeline Sens of Mankato; three sisters: Beatrice Cole and Pauly Freese--both of Mankato, and Tootie Jackson and her husband Allen of Suisun, Calif.; two sisters-in-law: Ethel Sens of North Mankato and Marj Sens of Tempe, Ariz.; one son-in-law and his wife Jerry and Sandy Hansen of North Mankato; five step-grandchildren; and nine step-great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her husband in 1976; a daughter, Katherine "Kaye" in 1986; and two brothers.
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