Leland Carl Franke Jr.

    Leland Carl Franke Jr., the son of Leland and Agnes (Anderson) Franke was born on May 25, 1948 in Sioux City, IA. His childhood years were spent in the Sioux City area where he attended school and graduated from South Sioux City High School.

     Leland was a true American Patriot and voluntarily enlisted in the United States Marine Corps February 21, 1967 and served his country on 3 tours in the Vietnam War. Leland was appointed a Corporal in the United States Marine Corps on September 1, 1969 and would later receive his Honorable Discharge from the United States Marine Corps on February 20, 1973. He then continued to serve his country in the Departments of the Army and Air Force National Guard Bureau for the next 21 years, including 4 years of service in the National Guard before his Honorable Discharge on August 10, 1992. Leland was placed on The Roll of Retired Iowa National Guard Enlisted Personnel on August 11, 1992. Sergeant First Class Leland C. Franke Jr. received a Certificate of Appreciation for his service in the Armed Forces of the United States signed by President George Bush.

    After his many years of service in the military, Leland spent his time working at IPS, Ace Signs, Demco, Schoon Construction, and Milford Cable where he would later retire from. Leland lived in several places in Northwest Iowa before moving to Spencer after marrying JoAnne Johnson Merchant on December 20, 2003. In his spare time, Leland enjoyed working on vehicles, watching westerns, reading, and playing on his computer. He especially enjoyed spending time with his family which included his beloved cats. Leland was known for being a great storyteller which will continue to live on through his family’s memories.

     Leland passed away on Saturday, March 31, 2018 at the Spencer Hospital at the age of 69. He was preceded in death by his father, Leland Franke and one grandchild, Maxwell Lee Cota.

     Left to cherish his memory are his wife JoAnne of Spencer, IA; 10 children, Dayvid (Cynthia) Franke of Zacatecas, MX, Vinsent (Bethanie) Franke of Los Angeles, CA, Samantha (Manuel) Franke-Cano of Los Angeles, CA, Gretchen Franke of Los Angeles, CA, Johann (Carly) Franke of Los Angeles, CA, Corey (Emily) Ainsworth of Omaha, NE, Erice (Tiffany) Franke of Sanborn, IA, Danielle Doran of Spencer, IA, Kara Merchant of Sheldon, IA, Kirsten (Dillon) Schulz of Spencer, IA, 20 grandchildren; 1 great-grandchild; his mother Agnes Franke of South Sioux City, NE; his brothers, David (Jo) Franke of Martinsburg, NE; Larry (Lynda) Franke of Sioux City, IA; his beloved cats, George and Scooter;  other relatives; and many friends.

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