Frank was born on the farm owned by his Grandfather Anton. He attended the local grade school located north of the present site of St Aloysius in Bishop Township, five miles west of Dieterich Illinois. When he attended school, he was taught in German. German was used until the USA entered the First World War. After that time, English was used. The 1990 St Aloysius Yearbook contains a picture of the 1910 Holy Communion Class. He was in the class and his name is listed as "Francis" Repking. It was Frank in the 1910 census.
He attended high school in Dieterich Illinois. He registered with the Effingham County Draft Board on September 12, 1918 for induction into the US Armed Forces for service in World War I. On his registration, he listed his occupation as Farmer and his employer as John Repking, his Father. His cousin, Joseph Repking, registered on the same day.
When he was supposed to show up for induction into the US Army, he was unable to report, because he was stricken with the flu. A severe epidemic was sweeping the US at the time. His Aunt and Uncle died from the flu. During WW II, he was chief engineer at the Methodist Hospital in Gary; he was considered to have a critical skill and was deferred from the draft.
He met and married Ida Louise Lustig. While courting, he would borrow his father's horse and buggy and take Ida dancing at a building located exactly half way between Montrose and Dieterich. After they were married, they lived in Montrose where he operated a small automobile garage and filling station. Mildred was born while they were living there.
They then moved to Gary, Ind where Bertha Westendorf nee Lustig (Ida's sister] had previously moved. They lived with Bert at 432 Pennsylvania for a short time. They then moved to 763 Ohio Street. He is shown at that address in the 1929 Gary City Directory. Frank had a job in the steel mills as an electrical foreman. His brothers-in-law, Walt Westendorf and Carl Lustig, were also electricians.
He was in a supervisory position. One day while at work, one of the workers received a severe electrical shock. He was gasping for breath because he had swallowed his tongue. Frank was able to pull his tongue out of his mouth and to prevent him from again swallowing it, Frank stuck a screwdriver through the tongue. The man survived.
During the depression, he lost his job in the steel mill. He was hired as Chief Engineer of the Gary Methodist Hospital, located at sixth and Grant in Gary. In 1936, he lost the tip of his right thumb in an accident at the hospital. With the insurance money, he purchased a new 1936 Ford for $650. He needed it to travel between his house at 609 West 39th and the hospital. Due to the hard times, he lost the house. In 1937 they lived briefly at 3928 Jefferson before moving to 44th and Massachusetts where they stayed for about two years and then to an apartment at 668 Polk Street.
In 1942, they had saved enough money to purchase a house at 561 Buchanan Street. He lived there until his death. He died in the kitchen of his house the day after Christmas. He had poured himself a cup of coffee; he replaced the pot on the stove when he collapsed. His daughter Sharon was upstairs when it happened. She found him in the kitchen.
In the 1940's he was President of the American Society of Hospital Engineers. His wife Ida said that he had attended Purdue University. I do not know when or where. The house in which he died was located in what was considered the better section of Gary in the 1930s and 40s. At the time of his death, the neighborhood had deteriorated and the property had declined in value. The home was valued at over $25,000 in the 1960s, but following his death, was sold in 1986 for $4000.
He attended high school in Dieterich Illinois. He registered with the Effingham County Draft Board on September 12, 1918 for induction into the US Armed Forces for service in World War I. On his registration, he listed his occupation as Farmer and his employer as John Repking, his Father. His cousin, Joseph Repking, registered on the same day.
When he was supposed to show up for induction into the US Army, he was unable to report, because he was stricken with the flu. A severe epidemic was sweeping the US at the time. His Aunt and Uncle died from the flu. During WW II, he was chief engineer at the Methodist Hospital in Gary; he was considered to have a critical skill and was deferred from the draft.
He met and married Ida Louise Lustig. While courting, he would borrow his father's horse and buggy and take Ida dancing at a building located exactly half way between Montrose and Dieterich. After they were married, they lived in Montrose where he operated a small automobile garage and filling station. Mildred was born while they were living there.
They then moved to Gary, Ind where Bertha Westendorf nee Lustig (Ida's sister] had previously moved. They lived with Bert at 432 Pennsylvania for a short time. They then moved to 763 Ohio Street. He is shown at that address in the 1929 Gary City Directory. Frank had a job in the steel mills as an electrical foreman. His brothers-in-law, Walt Westendorf and Carl Lustig, were also electricians.
He was in a supervisory position. One day while at work, one of the workers received a severe electrical shock. He was gasping for breath because he had swallowed his tongue. Frank was able to pull his tongue out of his mouth and to prevent him from again swallowing it, Frank stuck a screwdriver through the tongue. The man survived.
During the depression, he lost his job in the steel mill. He was hired as Chief Engineer of the Gary Methodist Hospital, located at sixth and Grant in Gary. In 1936, he lost the tip of his right thumb in an accident at the hospital. With the insurance money, he purchased a new 1936 Ford for $650. He needed it to travel between his house at 609 West 39th and the hospital. Due to the hard times, he lost the house. In 1937 they lived briefly at 3928 Jefferson before moving to 44th and Massachusetts where they stayed for about two years and then to an apartment at 668 Polk Street.
In 1942, they had saved enough money to purchase a house at 561 Buchanan Street. He lived there until his death. He died in the kitchen of his house the day after Christmas. He had poured himself a cup of coffee; he replaced the pot on the stove when he collapsed. His daughter Sharon was upstairs when it happened. She found him in the kitchen.
In the 1940's he was President of the American Society of Hospital Engineers. His wife Ida said that he had attended Purdue University. I do not know when or where. The house in which he died was located in what was considered the better section of Gary in the 1930s and 40s. At the time of his death, the neighborhood had deteriorated and the property had declined in value. The home was valued at over $25,000 in the 1960s, but following his death, was sold in 1986 for $4000.
Frank was born on the farm owned by his Grandfather Anton. He attended the local grade school located north of the present site of St Aloysius in Bishop Township, five miles west of Dieterich Illinois. When he attended school, he was taught in German. German was used until the USA entered the First World War. After that time, English was used. The 1990 St Aloysius Yearbook contains a picture of the 1910 Holy Communion Class. He was in the class and his name is listed as "Francis" Repking. It was Frank in the 1910 census.
He attended high school in Dieterich Illinois. He registered with the Effingham County Draft Board on September 12, 1918 for induction into the US Armed Forces for service in World War I. On his registration, he listed his occupation as Farmer and his employer as John Repking, his Father. His cousin, Joseph Repking, registered on the same day.
When he was supposed to show up for induction into the US Army, he was unable to report, because he was stricken with the flu. A severe epidemic was sweeping the US at the time. His Aunt and Uncle died from the flu. During WW II, he was chief engineer at the Methodist Hospital in Gary; he was considered to have a critical skill and was deferred from the draft.
He met and married Ida Louise Lustig. While courting, he would borrow his father's horse and buggy and take Ida dancing at a building located exactly half way between Montrose and Dieterich. After they were married, they lived in Montrose where he operated a small automobile garage and filling station. Mildred was born while they were living there.
They then moved to Gary, Ind where Bertha Westendorf nee Lustig (Ida's sister] had previously moved. They lived with Bert at 432 Pennsylvania for a short time. They then moved to 763 Ohio Street. He is shown at that address in the 1929 Gary City Directory. Frank had a job in the steel mills as an electrical foreman. His brothers-in-law, Walt Westendorf and Carl Lustig, were also electricians.
He was in a supervisory position. One day while at work, one of the workers received a severe electrical shock. He was gasping for breath because he had swallowed his tongue. Frank was able to pull his tongue out of his mouth and to prevent him from again swallowing it, Frank stuck a screwdriver through the tongue. The man survived.
During the depression, he lost his job in the steel mill. He was hired as Chief Engineer of the Gary Methodist Hospital, located at sixth and Grant in Gary. In 1936, he lost the tip of his right thumb in an accident at the hospital. With the insurance money, he purchased a new 1936 Ford for $650. He needed it to travel between his house at 609 West 39th and the hospital. Due to the hard times, he lost the house. In 1937 they lived briefly at 3928 Jefferson before moving to 44th and Massachusetts where they stayed for about two years and then to an apartment at 668 Polk Street.
In 1942, they had saved enough money to purchase a house at 561 Buchanan Street. He lived there until his death. He died in the kitchen of his house the day after Christmas. He had poured himself a cup of coffee; he replaced the pot on the stove when he collapsed. His daughter Sharon was upstairs when it happened. She found him in the kitchen.
In the 1940's he was President of the American Society of Hospital Engineers. His wife Ida said that he had attended Purdue University. I do not know when or where. The house in which he died was located in what was considered the better section of Gary in the 1930s and 40s. At the time of his death, the neighborhood had deteriorated and the property had declined in value. The home was valued at over $25,000 in the 1960s, but following his death, was sold in 1986 for $4000.
He attended high school in Dieterich Illinois. He registered with the Effingham County Draft Board on September 12, 1918 for induction into the US Armed Forces for service in World War I. On his registration, he listed his occupation as Farmer and his employer as John Repking, his Father. His cousin, Joseph Repking, registered on the same day.
When he was supposed to show up for induction into the US Army, he was unable to report, because he was stricken with the flu. A severe epidemic was sweeping the US at the time. His Aunt and Uncle died from the flu. During WW II, he was chief engineer at the Methodist Hospital in Gary; he was considered to have a critical skill and was deferred from the draft.
He met and married Ida Louise Lustig. While courting, he would borrow his father's horse and buggy and take Ida dancing at a building located exactly half way between Montrose and Dieterich. After they were married, they lived in Montrose where he operated a small automobile garage and filling station. Mildred was born while they were living there.
They then moved to Gary, Ind where Bertha Westendorf nee Lustig (Ida's sister] had previously moved. They lived with Bert at 432 Pennsylvania for a short time. They then moved to 763 Ohio Street. He is shown at that address in the 1929 Gary City Directory. Frank had a job in the steel mills as an electrical foreman. His brothers-in-law, Walt Westendorf and Carl Lustig, were also electricians.
He was in a supervisory position. One day while at work, one of the workers received a severe electrical shock. He was gasping for breath because he had swallowed his tongue. Frank was able to pull his tongue out of his mouth and to prevent him from again swallowing it, Frank stuck a screwdriver through the tongue. The man survived.
During the depression, he lost his job in the steel mill. He was hired as Chief Engineer of the Gary Methodist Hospital, located at sixth and Grant in Gary. In 1936, he lost the tip of his right thumb in an accident at the hospital. With the insurance money, he purchased a new 1936 Ford for $650. He needed it to travel between his house at 609 West 39th and the hospital. Due to the hard times, he lost the house. In 1937 they lived briefly at 3928 Jefferson before moving to 44th and Massachusetts where they stayed for about two years and then to an apartment at 668 Polk Street.
In 1942, they had saved enough money to purchase a house at 561 Buchanan Street. He lived there until his death. He died in the kitchen of his house the day after Christmas. He had poured himself a cup of coffee; he replaced the pot on the stove when he collapsed. His daughter Sharon was upstairs when it happened. She found him in the kitchen.
In the 1940's he was President of the American Society of Hospital Engineers. His wife Ida said that he had attended Purdue University. I do not know when or where. The house in which he died was located in what was considered the better section of Gary in the 1930s and 40s. At the time of his death, the neighborhood had deteriorated and the property had declined in value. The home was valued at over $25,000 in the 1960s, but following his death, was sold in 1986 for $4000.
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