Francis H. Church

Francis H. Church, 99, of Ponca, NE passed away on Wednesday, January 25, 2012 at the Elms Health Care Center in Ponca, NE.Funeral services will be held at 3:00 P.M. on Saturday, January 28, 2012 at the Mohr Funeral Home in Ponca, NE with Pastor Sheila Taylor officiating. Visitation will begin one hour prior to the service. Burial will be in the Maskell Cemetery in Maskell, NE. Online condolences may be posted at www.mohrfuneralhome.com.Francis was born in South Sioux City, NE on January 1, 1913, the son of Walter S. and Maude S. (Harvey) Church. The first twenty years of his life was spent moving, as his family homesteaded near Van Tassell, Wyoming shortly after his birth. Two years later they returned to Nebraska and farmed at Allen, Morningside, Iowa, Ponca, Wakefield, Maskell, and Mountain Home, Arkansas before finally returning to South Sioux City, Nebraska. He graduated from Wakefield High School. He married Alice M. Johnson on June 22, 1935. He worked for the Nebraska Department of Roads out of Lyons, Nebraska until the beginning of World War 2. At age 29, Francis went to enlist. Because of his age, he was told that he would be of greater service to his country, working in the Glen Martin Bomber Plant in Omaha. Francis and Alice then packed up and moved to Omaha. He was given orders to work on a top secret project, modifying a plane for a special mission. No one knew what it was to be used for, but later they learned that it was the Enola Gay. After the war, Francis and Alice remained in Omaha and he worked for the City of Omaha in the Traffic Division. After 18 years with the City, he became Traffic Services Supervisor for Douglas County where he retired in 1977 at the age of 65. Alice and Francis then moved to Maskell where they lived for the next ten years. Alice passed away on January 14, 1987. Francis married Marian Andersen on October 8, 1988 and they moved to Ponca a short time later.He enjoyed sign painting and woodworking projects. Survivors include his son, Kenneth (Kathy) Church of Omaha, NE; daughter, Linda Caldwell of Myrtle Beach, S.C.; grandchildren, Michael Church, Anne Rogers, Melissa Shinault and John Caldwell; great-grandchildren, Sean, Samantha and Adam Shinault, Tucker, Nathan and Reuben Caldwell and Kaitlyn Rogers; stepsons Donald (Jane) Andersen of Ponca and Ronald (Heidi) Andersen of Indianola, Iowa; 5 step-grandchildren and 14 step-great-grandchildren.Francis was preceded in death by his parents; his wives, Alice and Marian; 3 brothers, Lyle, Lowell and Edwin (Tucker): and his sister Opal.