Frances Schooley

Frances Berggren Schooley, known as a lovely lady with a quick wit, died Friday, February 2, eight days shy of her ninety-third birthday. She was born February 10, 1914, the last of Axel and Emelia Berggren’s five children, all of which were born in Clay County, Kansas. After attending public schools in Morganville and completing two years toward a home economics degree at Kansas State University, she taught third-fourth-and fifth grades at Morganville, returned to finish her degree, and taught home economics at Randall, Kansas. She and Maurice Schooley, after attending school together from the first grade, were married in Raleigh, North Carolina, July, 1940. Maurice was called into service from his post at a Raleigh veterinarian clinic and stationed in Guam where he purified water systems for incoming soldiers. Frances worked in Kansas City at a film procurement establishment until Maurice returned in 1946. For the next fifty years, Frances and Maurice lived where Maurice’s work in animal research took them, most notably Western Springs, Illinois; Plainfield, New Jersey; White Plains, New York; Morristown, Pennsylvania, and Danville, California where they retired. She was an active member of Danville’s Trinity Lutheran Church. Maurice died in 1999, and Frances moved to Hesston, Kansas six years ago. Frances greeted each move with a search for a small Swedish Lutheran Church, an active chapter of AAUW, and a place to express her volunteering spirit. She lent her talent for fashion to fund-raising efforts, and she especially enjoyed decorating her home with family heirlooms and newly acquired antiques from the area. Frances will be missed by her sister Alice’s children Lennea Nikkel of Hesston, Rose Mina Simmons of Manhattan, Ann Parr of Lindsborg, and Bill Oetinger of Morganville; sister Aurelia’s children Jeff Johnson of Greenville, North Carolina, and Kay Corkrum of Garrison, New York; and brother Harold’s children Jeannie Smith and Lois Berggren of Grove, Oklahoma. Her spirit of adventure left its mark on her family, a host of loved ones and friends all over the country with whom she has maintained regular contact, and, most recently, her caregivers at Schowalter Villa in Hesston. Funeral services will be held on Friday, February 9 at 2pm at the Swedsburg First Lutheran Church north of Clay Center. Burial will be at the church cemetery. Officiating the service will be Pastor Melba Smith. There will be no visitation. Memorials may be made to the church in care of the funeral home. A memorial service will be held at a later date at the Schowalter Villa Nursing Home in Hesston, KS.