Frances Fern Tucker Walburn (Fran), 95, loving wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother and friend, of Austin, Minnesota, passed from this earth into the arms of her Heavenly Father on Sunday, April 2, 2017, at Sacred Heart Care Center in Austin.

Fran was born April 23,1921, in Austin to Laura Anna Hansell Tucker and Milton A. Tucker. She was the second youngest of seven children. She spent her early and high school years living on farms around the Austin and Brownsdale, Minnesota, area. She married the love of her life, Sherman William Walburn, on Sept. 30, 1946, and spent 65 happy years living in the house he built when he came home from the war. Since 2012, Fran resided at the Sacred Heart Care Center in Austin where she was greatly loved and cared for; a very special “thank you” to the staff there and to Dr. Strobel.

Her high school years were filled with fun and joy and many, many friends. She was a member of and president of the Pep Band, a drum and bugle corps member, the bicycle club, the Austinian staff and was homecoming queen for the class of 1940.

Fran was a lifetime member of the Cedar River Archery Club in Austin, camping at the range, cooking in the kitchen and winning numerous trophies.

Her faith was firm and she loved the Lord. She was a long time member of the First United Methodist Church in Austin, having attended there since 1946 until her health prohibited her from attending. She was a member of many different church circles and loved cooking in the kitchen and serving many dinners, receptions and banquets.

Fran worked at Hormel Foods while Sherm was at war and later at the North Star Café. She loved to play golf, was on a bowling league and enjoyed fishing, camping, rock hounding and spending time with her family and friends. She left a huge legacy of a close-knit family – 12 aunts and uncles and many cousins and her family was privileged to spend time with all of them during their youth.

Frances lived a very full, yet simple life and will be remembered for her sweet, yet sometimes rambunctious spirit, her love of family and life itself, her sense of humor and the mischievous twinkle in her eyes. She was the family historian and often received calls asking her about births, deaths, marriages, addresses and children’s names.

Frances is survived by her son and daughter-in-law: Gregory and Darlene Walburn, Rochester, Minnesota; daughter and son-in-law: Melanie and Denny Davis, Eureka, Montana; grandchildren, Adam Walburn, Tower City, North Dakota, Matthew Walburn, Spring Valley, Minnesota, Zachary Davis, Helena, Montana, Denise Wee, Reedsburg, Wisconsin and Jennifer Davis, Helena; 15 great-grandchildren; and sister, Faye Anderson, Austin.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Laura and Milton Tucker; her husband, Sherman; her infant son, Rodney; her brother, Oris (Stub) Tucker; and four sisters, Irene Kautz, Violet Johnson, Gertrude Hull and Evelyn Hertle.

Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. on Monday, April 10, at First United Methodist Church with the Rev. Dennis Tamke officiating. Interment will be at Oakwood Cemetery. Visitation will be from 3 to 5 p.m. on Sunday at Clasen-Jordan Mortuary and for one hour before the service at the church on Monday.

Clasen-Jordan Mortuary is in charge of arrangements.