Meredith Franck
Meredith Ann Ballard Franck was born in Broken Bow, Neb. on Oct. 17, 1946 to Pete and Elise Ballard.
Merry graduated from Broken Bow High School in 1964 and enrolled at the University of Nebraska.
She married Raymond Franck, Jr. (Chip) in 1967 at the start of his 33-year Air Force career. As a military spouse, she lived in many places, setting up the household in 27 different dwellings.
Despite the moves, she completed her education: BA from UMass, Boston, in 1969, and a MA from the University of Colorado in 1980. She worked as a teacher, counselor and educational administrator at various times.
She was always active in volunteer work that included editing Officers’ Spouses newsletters, volunteer work at counseling centers and advisor to Officers’ Spouses organizations. She received multiple “Volunteer of the Year” awards.
Following Chip’s retirement from the Air Force in 2000, the couple moved to California with Chip joining the faculty at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey. Merry continued her volunteer work in counseling and advising officers’ spouses.
Upon Chip’s second retirement in 2012, they relocated to New Braunfels, Texas where she lived until departing this world on Sept. 21, 2020. At the time of her passing, she and Chip were Co-Presidents of the Friends of the New Braunfels Public Library.
Merry is survived by her husband of 53 years; children Gretchen and Matthew; daughter-in-Lisa; brother Dave and spouse Lois; brothers-inaw Rick and Jim Franck and their spouses (Marla and Cheryl); plus numerous cousins, nieces, nephews, classmates and other good friends.
A service in honor of her life will take place in New Braunfels. In lieu of flowers, donations to the Friends of the New Braunfels Public Library, Broken Bow United Methodist Church or some other worthy cause would be a fitting memorial.