Arlene Marie (Ditmars) Franks

Arlene Marie (Ditmars) Franks (58), loving wife, mother, grandmother, daughter, sister, and aunt passed away Sunday morning, July 7, 2013, at Mercy Hospital in Des Moines, IA. Arlene was born on June 9, 1955 in Montgomery County Memorial Hospital in Red Oak, IA to William Henry (Hank) Ditmars, Jr. and Mary Margaret (Hughes) Ditmars of Imogene, IA. Arlene attended school at St. Patrick's Catholic School in Imogene and Farragut Community School, where she was a member of the 1971 State Basketball Championship team and graduated with the Class of 1973. Arlene attended Iowa Western Community College in Clarinda, IA, prior to employment with Iowa Workforce Development in Shenandoah, IA. Arlene moved to Omaha, NE in 1982, where she met and later married Larry Franks on January 27, 1990. Arlene became a mother to Larry's two children, Angel and Ray, and later MaryAnna and Noah John were born. Arlene continued her employment with Iowa Workforce Development in Council Bluffs. In 1997, Arlene was the recipient of the Governor's Star Achievement Award - Fact Finding Team. The Franks family moved to Madison County, IA in 1999, when Arlene accepted a job promotion with Iowa Workforce Deve...[more]

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ment and retired in 2009 with 26 years of service. Arlene loved spending time with her family, especially her children and grandchildren, she enjoyed tending to her flower gardens, feeding and watching birds, fishing, taking photographs, playing softball and was a member of a 1985 Co-ed Softball National Championship team (Oklahoma City). Arlene is preceded in death, by her mother, Mary (Hughes) Ditmars, siblings, Ann Marie and John Wayne Ditmars, and grandparents, William and Lillian Ditmars, Sr. and Leo and Lucille Hughes, and dear friend of the Franks family, John Black. Arlene is survived by her husband, Larry, her children, Angel (Mark) Kreie of Port Arthur, TX, Ray (Amber) Franks of Crystal Lake, IL, MaryAnna Franks and Noah John Franks, of the home, and her grandchildren, Daughtry and Tinley Franks, her father, William H. (Charlotte) Ditmars, Jr. of Farragut, IA, and siblings, Connie (Dwight) Durfey of Shawnee, KS, William P. (Pam) Ditmars of Shenandoah, IA, Joyce (Larry) Jones of Glenwood, IA, Stanley (Cheryl) Ditmars of Alamosa, CO, Therese Ditmars of Omaha, NE, Virginia (David) Ulrich of Omaha, NE, Deanna Ditmars of Kansas City, MO, Dale Ditmars of Johnstown, CO, Carl Dean Ditmars of Galena, MO, and Jean Ditmars of Shawnee, KS, step-brother Kevin (Dawn) Livingston of Belton, MO, step-sister Karla (Marty) Owens of Council Bluffs, IA, her mother-in-law, Elaine Williams of Knobnoster, MO, numerous nephews and nieces, and many other relatives and friends. In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be sent to: Arlene Franks Memorial Fund, 1677 Upland TR, Prole, IA 50229.