Spc. Lucas Allen Frantz, 22, Tonganoxie, KS, died Tuesday, October 18, 2005 in Mosul, Iraq, supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Lucas was born October 18, 1983 in Topeka, KS, and died on his birthday. He was a US Army vehicle commander assigned to 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment, 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team and had been based at Fort Wainwright, Alaska before being deployed to Iraq.
He was a 2002 graduate of Tonganoxie High School where he was an outstanding football player. In a ceremony last Friday, his team retired his football number at their league game in Tonganoxie. On July 16, 2003 he was united in marriage to Kelly Lee Qualls in Leavenworth, KS.
From futons to recliners, Lucas A. Frantz somehow seemed to break several pieces of furniture just by sitting in them. While in the Army, he managed to break a cot as well. "Lucas was a big guy," said his wife, Kelly. "Everybody knew that about him. He just would kind of break stuff."
A 2002 high school graduate, he was assigned to Fort Wainwright. Frantz was an offensive lineman and linebacker in high school and wanted to become a police officer when he finished his military service. He joined the Army Reserve a week after he turned 17.
"He was a coach's dream because of his dedication," said Mark Elston, Lucas' former coach. "When he put the helmet on, he was ready to scrap it out, but when he took the helmet off, you couldn't ask for a better kid."
On their first date as teenagers, Lucas and Kelly, walked around the high school's football track together until 3 a.m. They'd met while stocking cat food at the local grocery store. "That was just Lucas. He was so comforting to be around and so easy to be with," said Kelly's mother, Pam Jeannin.
He is survived by his wife, Kelly Lee Frantz, of the home; his parents, Lorrie and Tim VanDruff, Rossville, KS; brother, Matt VanDruff, and sister, Staci VanDruff, both of Rossville, KS; his grandparents, Karen Hildebrandt, Rossville, KS and Larry and Helen VanDruff, Tonganoxie and many other relatives and friends.
Memorial services will be 12 p.m. Thursday, October 27, 2005 at the V.F.W. Park, Tonganoxie, KS. Burial will be in Maple Grove Cemetery, Tonganoxie. Friends may visit from 9 a.m. until 9 p.m. Tuesday, October 25, 2005 at Quisenberry Funeral Home, Tonganoxie, KS.
Memorials are suggested to the Lucas Frantz Fund to be used for a memorial to honor him.
(Arr; Quisenberry Funeral Home, 913-845-2740).
Published in the Kansas City Star on 10/23/2005.
∼Army Spc. Lucas A. Frantz, 22, of Tonganoxie, Kansas, A Kansan Football Hero.
A sniper killed Army Spc. Lucas Frantz in the Iraqi city of Mosul on his 22nd birthday
Frantz died in Mosul, Iraq, on October 18, 2005 when he was hit by enemy fire while performing a combat mission.
He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment, 172nd Sryker Brigade Combat Team, Fort Wainwright, Alaska.
A member of the 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team stationed at the Fort Wainwright Army Post was killed Tuesday in Iraq.
Spc. Lucas Frantz died Tuesday of injuries suffered during a sniper attack in Mosul. He is the first member of the Stryker Brigade killed in combat since the unit was deployed two months ago.
Frantz's platoon was conducting an operation in an area of Mosul known as "Bedrock." Frantz was in his Stryker vehicle protecting dismounted members of his platoon when he was attacked.
Frantz was an infantryman and Stryker vehicle commander assigned to Company A, 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry. He turned 22 on Tuesday.
Frantz's hometown of Tonganoxie, Kan., rallied around his family after his wife, Kelly, got word of his death. Kelly Frantz said in a Wednesday phone interview that flags around the small town were flying at half-staff. Even the Sonic Drive-in had changed its sign to read, "Thank you for serving our country Lucas."
Frantz's fellow squad members remembered him Wednesday in a news release issued by U.S. Army Alaska.
"Spc. Frantz was the kind of guy who would always help you out," said his platoon leader, 1st Lt. Randy Lewis. "He would never ask you for help, no matter what, but he was always helping others."
Spc. Toby Alsip said Frantz could fix anything.
"He was the biggest, strongest guy I ever knew," he said
Kelly Frantz said her husband was known for his build. It earned him the nickname "Killer" as a star linebacker on the Tonganoxie High School football team.
The Frantzes' love story also began in high school. Kelly Frantz said she was two years ahead of Lucas in school, where they knew each other but didn't date.
"But he always had a little bit of a crush on me," she said.
After Lucas graduated in 2002, he began working at the same grocery store as Kelly. She said they became friends, she eventually became interested in him and teased him about when he was going to ask her out. On their first date, they went to Taco Johns and walked around the high school track until 3 a.m.
"We knew we were meant to be," she said.
Kelly Frantz said her husband joined the Army Reserves in 2000 and went on active duty in May 2003. When Lucas returned from advanced individual training, he had two weeks in Tonganoxie before leaving for Fort Wainwright. Kelly said in those two weeks they got engaged and then married.
"It was a perfect love," Kelly said.
The two were together in Fairbanks until Lucas left with the rest of the brigade in August for a yearlong deployment. She returned to Tonganoxie and was able to talk to Lucas in Iraq once or twice a week.
She last spoke to him on Oct. 12 when they each had access to a Web cam and were able to see each other for the first time since Frantz left.
Kelly Frantz said the Tonganoxie High football team will retire Frantz's No. 69 at its game Friday. She said there are no plans for a memorial service or funeral yet, but she hopes to hold a service on the Veterans of Foreign Wars grounds to honor Frantz's service. It was where the couple had their wedding pictures taken and had planned to renew their vows when Frantz returned from Iraq.
Kelly Frantz spoke in a strong voice and said she had already talked to several newspapers and members of the media about her husband. She sometimes cried while talking about special memories but kept talking, adamant that she wanted to tell the story of her husband's life and service.
"He was a perfect soldier if there ever could be one," she said. "When he needed to be a husband, he was one. When he needed to be a friend, he was one. He went over there and fought and he died for our country and I don't want people to forget that."
Contributor: Billie Welch (50959914) lists Lucas Allen Frantz's father as: Gary Patrick Frantz.
Lucas was born October 18, 1983 in Topeka, KS, and died on his birthday. He was a US Army vehicle commander assigned to 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment, 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team and had been based at Fort Wainwright, Alaska before being deployed to Iraq.
He was a 2002 graduate of Tonganoxie High School where he was an outstanding football player. In a ceremony last Friday, his team retired his football number at their league game in Tonganoxie. On July 16, 2003 he was united in marriage to Kelly Lee Qualls in Leavenworth, KS.
From futons to recliners, Lucas A. Frantz somehow seemed to break several pieces of furniture just by sitting in them. While in the Army, he managed to break a cot as well. "Lucas was a big guy," said his wife, Kelly. "Everybody knew that about him. He just would kind of break stuff."
A 2002 high school graduate, he was assigned to Fort Wainwright. Frantz was an offensive lineman and linebacker in high school and wanted to become a police officer when he finished his military service. He joined the Army Reserve a week after he turned 17.
"He was a coach's dream because of his dedication," said Mark Elston, Lucas' former coach. "When he put the helmet on, he was ready to scrap it out, but when he took the helmet off, you couldn't ask for a better kid."
On their first date as teenagers, Lucas and Kelly, walked around the high school's football track together until 3 a.m. They'd met while stocking cat food at the local grocery store. "That was just Lucas. He was so comforting to be around and so easy to be with," said Kelly's mother, Pam Jeannin.
He is survived by his wife, Kelly Lee Frantz, of the home; his parents, Lorrie and Tim VanDruff, Rossville, KS; brother, Matt VanDruff, and sister, Staci VanDruff, both of Rossville, KS; his grandparents, Karen Hildebrandt, Rossville, KS and Larry and Helen VanDruff, Tonganoxie and many other relatives and friends.
Memorial services will be 12 p.m. Thursday, October 27, 2005 at the V.F.W. Park, Tonganoxie, KS. Burial will be in Maple Grove Cemetery, Tonganoxie. Friends may visit from 9 a.m. until 9 p.m. Tuesday, October 25, 2005 at Quisenberry Funeral Home, Tonganoxie, KS.
Memorials are suggested to the Lucas Frantz Fund to be used for a memorial to honor him.
(Arr; Quisenberry Funeral Home, 913-845-2740).
Published in the Kansas City Star on 10/23/2005.
∼Army Spc. Lucas A. Frantz, 22, of Tonganoxie, Kansas, A Kansan Football Hero.
A sniper killed Army Spc. Lucas Frantz in the Iraqi city of Mosul on his 22nd birthday
Frantz died in Mosul, Iraq, on October 18, 2005 when he was hit by enemy fire while performing a combat mission.
He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment, 172nd Sryker Brigade Combat Team, Fort Wainwright, Alaska.
A member of the 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team stationed at the Fort Wainwright Army Post was killed Tuesday in Iraq.
Spc. Lucas Frantz died Tuesday of injuries suffered during a sniper attack in Mosul. He is the first member of the Stryker Brigade killed in combat since the unit was deployed two months ago.
Frantz's platoon was conducting an operation in an area of Mosul known as "Bedrock." Frantz was in his Stryker vehicle protecting dismounted members of his platoon when he was attacked.
Frantz was an infantryman and Stryker vehicle commander assigned to Company A, 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry. He turned 22 on Tuesday.
Frantz's hometown of Tonganoxie, Kan., rallied around his family after his wife, Kelly, got word of his death. Kelly Frantz said in a Wednesday phone interview that flags around the small town were flying at half-staff. Even the Sonic Drive-in had changed its sign to read, "Thank you for serving our country Lucas."
Frantz's fellow squad members remembered him Wednesday in a news release issued by U.S. Army Alaska.
"Spc. Frantz was the kind of guy who would always help you out," said his platoon leader, 1st Lt. Randy Lewis. "He would never ask you for help, no matter what, but he was always helping others."
Spc. Toby Alsip said Frantz could fix anything.
"He was the biggest, strongest guy I ever knew," he said
Kelly Frantz said her husband was known for his build. It earned him the nickname "Killer" as a star linebacker on the Tonganoxie High School football team.
The Frantzes' love story also began in high school. Kelly Frantz said she was two years ahead of Lucas in school, where they knew each other but didn't date.
"But he always had a little bit of a crush on me," she said.
After Lucas graduated in 2002, he began working at the same grocery store as Kelly. She said they became friends, she eventually became interested in him and teased him about when he was going to ask her out. On their first date, they went to Taco Johns and walked around the high school track until 3 a.m.
"We knew we were meant to be," she said.
Kelly Frantz said her husband joined the Army Reserves in 2000 and went on active duty in May 2003. When Lucas returned from advanced individual training, he had two weeks in Tonganoxie before leaving for Fort Wainwright. Kelly said in those two weeks they got engaged and then married.
"It was a perfect love," Kelly said.
The two were together in Fairbanks until Lucas left with the rest of the brigade in August for a yearlong deployment. She returned to Tonganoxie and was able to talk to Lucas in Iraq once or twice a week.
She last spoke to him on Oct. 12 when they each had access to a Web cam and were able to see each other for the first time since Frantz left.
Kelly Frantz said the Tonganoxie High football team will retire Frantz's No. 69 at its game Friday. She said there are no plans for a memorial service or funeral yet, but she hopes to hold a service on the Veterans of Foreign Wars grounds to honor Frantz's service. It was where the couple had their wedding pictures taken and had planned to renew their vows when Frantz returned from Iraq.
Kelly Frantz spoke in a strong voice and said she had already talked to several newspapers and members of the media about her husband. She sometimes cried while talking about special memories but kept talking, adamant that she wanted to tell the story of her husband's life and service.
"He was a perfect soldier if there ever could be one," she said. "When he needed to be a husband, he was one. When he needed to be a friend, he was one. He went over there and fought and he died for our country and I don't want people to forget that."
Contributor: Billie Welch (50959914) lists Lucas Allen Frantz's father as: Gary Patrick Frantz.
Spc. Lucas Allen Frantz, 22, Tonganoxie, KS, died Tuesday, October 18, 2005 in Mosul, Iraq, supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Lucas was born October 18, 1983 in Topeka, KS, and died on his birthday. He was a US Army vehicle commander assigned to 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment, 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team and had been based at Fort Wainwright, Alaska before being deployed to Iraq.
He was a 2002 graduate of Tonganoxie High School where he was an outstanding football player. In a ceremony last Friday, his team retired his football number at their league game in Tonganoxie. On July 16, 2003 he was united in marriage to Kelly Lee Qualls in Leavenworth, KS.
From futons to recliners, Lucas A. Frantz somehow seemed to break several pieces of furniture just by sitting in them. While in the Army, he managed to break a cot as well. "Lucas was a big guy," said his wife, Kelly. "Everybody knew that about him. He just would kind of break stuff."
A 2002 high school graduate, he was assigned to Fort Wainwright. Frantz was an offensive lineman and linebacker in high school and wanted to become a police officer when he finished his military service. He joined the Army Reserve a week after he turned 17.
"He was a coach's dream because of his dedication," said Mark Elston, Lucas' former coach. "When he put the helmet on, he was ready to scrap it out, but when he took the helmet off, you couldn't ask for a better kid."
On their first date as teenagers, Lucas and Kelly, walked around the high school's football track together until 3 a.m. They'd met while stocking cat food at the local grocery store. "That was just Lucas. He was so comforting to be around and so easy to be with," said Kelly's mother, Pam Jeannin.
He is survived by his wife, Kelly Lee Frantz, of the home; his parents, Lorrie and Tim VanDruff, Rossville, KS; brother, Matt VanDruff, and sister, Staci VanDruff, both of Rossville, KS; his grandparents, Karen Hildebrandt, Rossville, KS and Larry and Helen VanDruff, Tonganoxie and many other relatives and friends.
Memorial services will be 12 p.m. Thursday, October 27, 2005 at the V.F.W. Park, Tonganoxie, KS. Burial will be in Maple Grove Cemetery, Tonganoxie. Friends may visit from 9 a.m. until 9 p.m. Tuesday, October 25, 2005 at Quisenberry Funeral Home, Tonganoxie, KS.
Memorials are suggested to the Lucas Frantz Fund to be used for a memorial to honor him.
(Arr; Quisenberry Funeral Home, 913-845-2740).
Published in the Kansas City Star on 10/23/2005.
∼Army Spc. Lucas A. Frantz, 22, of Tonganoxie, Kansas, A Kansan Football Hero.
A sniper killed Army Spc. Lucas Frantz in the Iraqi city of Mosul on his 22nd birthday
Frantz died in Mosul, Iraq, on October 18, 2005 when he was hit by enemy fire while performing a combat mission.
He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment, 172nd Sryker Brigade Combat Team, Fort Wainwright, Alaska.
A member of the 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team stationed at the Fort Wainwright Army Post was killed Tuesday in Iraq.
Spc. Lucas Frantz died Tuesday of injuries suffered during a sniper attack in Mosul. He is the first member of the Stryker Brigade killed in combat since the unit was deployed two months ago.
Frantz's platoon was conducting an operation in an area of Mosul known as "Bedrock." Frantz was in his Stryker vehicle protecting dismounted members of his platoon when he was attacked.
Frantz was an infantryman and Stryker vehicle commander assigned to Company A, 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry. He turned 22 on Tuesday.
Frantz's hometown of Tonganoxie, Kan., rallied around his family after his wife, Kelly, got word of his death. Kelly Frantz said in a Wednesday phone interview that flags around the small town were flying at half-staff. Even the Sonic Drive-in had changed its sign to read, "Thank you for serving our country Lucas."
Frantz's fellow squad members remembered him Wednesday in a news release issued by U.S. Army Alaska.
"Spc. Frantz was the kind of guy who would always help you out," said his platoon leader, 1st Lt. Randy Lewis. "He would never ask you for help, no matter what, but he was always helping others."
Spc. Toby Alsip said Frantz could fix anything.
"He was the biggest, strongest guy I ever knew," he said
Kelly Frantz said her husband was known for his build. It earned him the nickname "Killer" as a star linebacker on the Tonganoxie High School football team.
The Frantzes' love story also began in high school. Kelly Frantz said she was two years ahead of Lucas in school, where they knew each other but didn't date.
"But he always had a little bit of a crush on me," she said.
After Lucas graduated in 2002, he began working at the same grocery store as Kelly. She said they became friends, she eventually became interested in him and teased him about when he was going to ask her out. On their first date, they went to Taco Johns and walked around the high school track until 3 a.m.
"We knew we were meant to be," she said.
Kelly Frantz said her husband joined the Army Reserves in 2000 and went on active duty in May 2003. When Lucas returned from advanced individual training, he had two weeks in Tonganoxie before leaving for Fort Wainwright. Kelly said in those two weeks they got engaged and then married.
"It was a perfect love," Kelly said.
The two were together in Fairbanks until Lucas left with the rest of the brigade in August for a yearlong deployment. She returned to Tonganoxie and was able to talk to Lucas in Iraq once or twice a week.
She last spoke to him on Oct. 12 when they each had access to a Web cam and were able to see each other for the first time since Frantz left.
Kelly Frantz said the Tonganoxie High football team will retire Frantz's No. 69 at its game Friday. She said there are no plans for a memorial service or funeral yet, but she hopes to hold a service on the Veterans of Foreign Wars grounds to honor Frantz's service. It was where the couple had their wedding pictures taken and had planned to renew their vows when Frantz returned from Iraq.
Kelly Frantz spoke in a strong voice and said she had already talked to several newspapers and members of the media about her husband. She sometimes cried while talking about special memories but kept talking, adamant that she wanted to tell the story of her husband's life and service.
"He was a perfect soldier if there ever could be one," she said. "When he needed to be a husband, he was one. When he needed to be a friend, he was one. He went over there and fought and he died for our country and I don't want people to forget that."
Contributor: Billie Welch (50959914) lists Lucas Allen Frantz's father as: Gary Patrick Frantz.
Lucas was born October 18, 1983 in Topeka, KS, and died on his birthday. He was a US Army vehicle commander assigned to 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment, 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team and had been based at Fort Wainwright, Alaska before being deployed to Iraq.
He was a 2002 graduate of Tonganoxie High School where he was an outstanding football player. In a ceremony last Friday, his team retired his football number at their league game in Tonganoxie. On July 16, 2003 he was united in marriage to Kelly Lee Qualls in Leavenworth, KS.
From futons to recliners, Lucas A. Frantz somehow seemed to break several pieces of furniture just by sitting in them. While in the Army, he managed to break a cot as well. "Lucas was a big guy," said his wife, Kelly. "Everybody knew that about him. He just would kind of break stuff."
A 2002 high school graduate, he was assigned to Fort Wainwright. Frantz was an offensive lineman and linebacker in high school and wanted to become a police officer when he finished his military service. He joined the Army Reserve a week after he turned 17.
"He was a coach's dream because of his dedication," said Mark Elston, Lucas' former coach. "When he put the helmet on, he was ready to scrap it out, but when he took the helmet off, you couldn't ask for a better kid."
On their first date as teenagers, Lucas and Kelly, walked around the high school's football track together until 3 a.m. They'd met while stocking cat food at the local grocery store. "That was just Lucas. He was so comforting to be around and so easy to be with," said Kelly's mother, Pam Jeannin.
He is survived by his wife, Kelly Lee Frantz, of the home; his parents, Lorrie and Tim VanDruff, Rossville, KS; brother, Matt VanDruff, and sister, Staci VanDruff, both of Rossville, KS; his grandparents, Karen Hildebrandt, Rossville, KS and Larry and Helen VanDruff, Tonganoxie and many other relatives and friends.
Memorial services will be 12 p.m. Thursday, October 27, 2005 at the V.F.W. Park, Tonganoxie, KS. Burial will be in Maple Grove Cemetery, Tonganoxie. Friends may visit from 9 a.m. until 9 p.m. Tuesday, October 25, 2005 at Quisenberry Funeral Home, Tonganoxie, KS.
Memorials are suggested to the Lucas Frantz Fund to be used for a memorial to honor him.
(Arr; Quisenberry Funeral Home, 913-845-2740).
Published in the Kansas City Star on 10/23/2005.
∼Army Spc. Lucas A. Frantz, 22, of Tonganoxie, Kansas, A Kansan Football Hero.
A sniper killed Army Spc. Lucas Frantz in the Iraqi city of Mosul on his 22nd birthday
Frantz died in Mosul, Iraq, on October 18, 2005 when he was hit by enemy fire while performing a combat mission.
He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment, 172nd Sryker Brigade Combat Team, Fort Wainwright, Alaska.
A member of the 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team stationed at the Fort Wainwright Army Post was killed Tuesday in Iraq.
Spc. Lucas Frantz died Tuesday of injuries suffered during a sniper attack in Mosul. He is the first member of the Stryker Brigade killed in combat since the unit was deployed two months ago.
Frantz's platoon was conducting an operation in an area of Mosul known as "Bedrock." Frantz was in his Stryker vehicle protecting dismounted members of his platoon when he was attacked.
Frantz was an infantryman and Stryker vehicle commander assigned to Company A, 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry. He turned 22 on Tuesday.
Frantz's hometown of Tonganoxie, Kan., rallied around his family after his wife, Kelly, got word of his death. Kelly Frantz said in a Wednesday phone interview that flags around the small town were flying at half-staff. Even the Sonic Drive-in had changed its sign to read, "Thank you for serving our country Lucas."
Frantz's fellow squad members remembered him Wednesday in a news release issued by U.S. Army Alaska.
"Spc. Frantz was the kind of guy who would always help you out," said his platoon leader, 1st Lt. Randy Lewis. "He would never ask you for help, no matter what, but he was always helping others."
Spc. Toby Alsip said Frantz could fix anything.
"He was the biggest, strongest guy I ever knew," he said
Kelly Frantz said her husband was known for his build. It earned him the nickname "Killer" as a star linebacker on the Tonganoxie High School football team.
The Frantzes' love story also began in high school. Kelly Frantz said she was two years ahead of Lucas in school, where they knew each other but didn't date.
"But he always had a little bit of a crush on me," she said.
After Lucas graduated in 2002, he began working at the same grocery store as Kelly. She said they became friends, she eventually became interested in him and teased him about when he was going to ask her out. On their first date, they went to Taco Johns and walked around the high school track until 3 a.m.
"We knew we were meant to be," she said.
Kelly Frantz said her husband joined the Army Reserves in 2000 and went on active duty in May 2003. When Lucas returned from advanced individual training, he had two weeks in Tonganoxie before leaving for Fort Wainwright. Kelly said in those two weeks they got engaged and then married.
"It was a perfect love," Kelly said.
The two were together in Fairbanks until Lucas left with the rest of the brigade in August for a yearlong deployment. She returned to Tonganoxie and was able to talk to Lucas in Iraq once or twice a week.
She last spoke to him on Oct. 12 when they each had access to a Web cam and were able to see each other for the first time since Frantz left.
Kelly Frantz said the Tonganoxie High football team will retire Frantz's No. 69 at its game Friday. She said there are no plans for a memorial service or funeral yet, but she hopes to hold a service on the Veterans of Foreign Wars grounds to honor Frantz's service. It was where the couple had their wedding pictures taken and had planned to renew their vows when Frantz returned from Iraq.
Kelly Frantz spoke in a strong voice and said she had already talked to several newspapers and members of the media about her husband. She sometimes cried while talking about special memories but kept talking, adamant that she wanted to tell the story of her husband's life and service.
"He was a perfect soldier if there ever could be one," she said. "When he needed to be a husband, he was one. When he needed to be a friend, he was one. He went over there and fought and he died for our country and I don't want people to forget that."
Contributor: Billie Welch (50959914) lists Lucas Allen Frantz's father as: Gary Patrick Frantz.
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