Francis Friend

Francis (Frank) Harold Friend, 96, completed his life's journey on Thursday, May 22, 2014, at Ramsey Village in Des Moines.

Funeral Services will be held at Park Avenue Presbyterian Church, 3120 SW 9th St, Des Moines on Wednesday, May 28, 2014 at 11:00 a.m. Visitation will be one hour before the service. Burial will be at IOOF Cemetery in Bloomfield, Iowa.

Francis was born April 21, 1918 at his grandmother's home in Bloomfield. He attended country schools as well as in Bloomfield, where he graduated from high school in 1936. After high school, he taught country school for one year, and then went to Chillicothe, Missouri, where he graduated from Chillicothe Business College in 1937.

In June of 1939 Francis moved to Ottumwa, Iowa, and married his high school sweetheart, Dorotha Hanna. They relocated to Baltimore, MD in January 1940 where he began a thirty-three year career with the Social Security Administration.

After transferring to Des Moines in 1946, he continued his work for Social Security until his retirement in 1973. He received many commendations for his work, and was known for his diligence, attention to detail, and a caring attitude for those he helped.

Frank, as he was known by many of his family and friends, enjoyed gardening, reading, travel, and spending time with family. In years past he was a member of Bethany Baptist Church and served faithfully for many years. Later, at his present church, Park Avenue Presbyterian, he served as an Elder and assisted in many improvements to the church. Francis was a man of strong faith in God, he loved his family, and was a loyal and trusted friend to many.

Dorotha preceded Francis in death in 1965. Also preceding him in death were his parents, Tide and Adelaide Randolph Friend; and three brothers, Russell, Lowell, and Olen.

Frank is survived by his wife of 47 years, Betty, daughter, Patricia Lovell, sons Donald (Paula) and Robert (Peggy), stepson Mark Cody (Anne), seven grandchildren and three great grandchildren. Also surviving to cherish his memory are a sister-in-Law, Evelyn Spurgeon, as well as many nieces and nephews.

Memorial contributions may be given to Park Avenue Presbyterian Church.

Condolences may be expressed at www.HamiltonsFuneralHome.com.

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