A Message To Fran
CELEBRATING FRAN:
We met Fran just before she had grandchildren, back in 1996. She and Ed had just quit smoking because they had recent news that Lisa was pregnant and they wanted to live long enough to enjoy their grandchild. And that she did, doting on Brian from day one, always his biggest fan! And we knew her when she delighted at having two more grandchildren, her precious Quinn and Alden. She was the epitome of the proud grandma. We’d love to hear her latest stories of what each precious grandchild did or said that thrilled her.
We also met Fran at a time in her life where she had come into her own, finding a love of archaeology that led her to volunteer with the Smoki Museum. For three years, we all practically lived at the museum, learning and loving what we did under the tutelage of our beloved Joanne Cline. It was a magical time when we all worked tirelessly for a cause we believed in. The Smoki Museum, American Art & Culture, is now an organization that has risen in stature thanks in great part to Fran’s leadership as director at a crucial time in its history.
And what about those pottery sherds? Did anyone besides Bob love those broken pieces of pottery more? Fran and Bob took Betty Higgin’s class at the Archaeology Society and became experts at classifying those ancient artifacts. Their shared love of things Native American is what brought Fran and Bob together first and played a great role in the continuing friendship. Over the years Fran, Ed, Bob and I took many a side trip into the Southwest to find some remote ruin. We’ve picnicked in the snow, ate black flies with our sandwiches, and danced on the top of Chaco Canyon with great abandon, all for the love of communing with those Ancient Spirits that guide us still.
A few years later, Fran and I discovered the simple joy of making greeting cards. We began a weekly routine of meeting to work together in what served as a creative outlet and therapy session all in one. We laughed and cried over our lives’ trials and tribulations but mostly she railed against my politics.
We found that the four of us all liked to play pinochle, an old-fashioned card game that pitted the men versus the women. It was so much fun that we played once and often twice a week. An added feature was the fact that the card playing was usually preceded by a home-cooked meal and we all know what a great cook Fran was! We delighted in her many Southern recipes and her courageous way of trying out new recipes. We always looked forward to our evenings at the Hunolds for good fun, good laughs and good food!
Health issues forced us to leave our beloved home in Prescott and thus our very close connection to Fran and Ed, but we kept in touch by phone and always by thought. Bob and I were able to make a trip to Cave Creek last April where we played one last great game of pinochle. Us girls won, as I recall…
We are so sorry that Fran had to leave us too soon. Fran was a truly genuine and passionate person, a great friend. She held true to her beliefs and to those she loved. She was loyal and fearless, she followed her own star.
And now we pray that she is sitting at the right hand of God where all the politics are to her liking.
With all our love and deepest sympathy to you all. We have been blessed to have had such a good friend as part of our lives.
Bob & Doris