Frank Dean Freese

Frank Dean Freese died Monday, February 20, 2018, at his home in Lander. He was 87 years old.

Services will be held at 2 pm Monday, February 26, at the United Methodist Church with burial to follow at Mount Hope Cemetery.

Frank was born on October 26, 1930, in Lander, the son of Sidney and Alice Freese. He attended school in Lander and graduated from Fremont County Vocational High School in Lander in 1950.

Frank met the love of his life, Frannie, while a junior in high school.They married June 22, 1952, and raised their four children in the Lander Valley.

Frank and his wife were Fremont County Fair Parade Marshalls in 1995. Frank loved horses and rodeo and he and Frannie eventually raised quarter horses and then later beautiful registered paint horses.Frank and Frances were awarded the first years Central Wyoming College Western Legacy Award for their contributions to the College program.

Frank was a stand out athlete and lettered in track, football and basketball all four years in high school.After graduation he received a scholarship to play football for Santa Ana College in California. He took a train out to California where he stayed with his coach while playing for the Santa Ana Dons for two years. He was #57, played end and played in The Junior Rose Bowl in 195.Frank was honored along with teammates for the Fremont County Vocational High School State Championship Football team of 1948.

He loved the sport of rodeo and raised a great many exceptional rodeo horses. He participated in bull dogging, calf roping and team roping and would rodeo every chance he got. Often times taking his wife and kids with him.One year he even got on a bull to come out the chute at the 4th of July rodeo to qualify for the All Around.He and a long time friend went to the National Seniors Rodeo in Las Vegas driving a car pulling a two horse trailer.

Frank was a father and mentor to many young men and women and loved helping kids with horses and teaching the sport of rodeo. He loved his family and spending time with them. He was always known as a jokester and frequently had everyone around him laughing.

During his life Frank worked at U.S. Steel, Fremont County Road Dept., was a contractor and built many homes with his dad Sid over the years, as well as many other jobs.

He was preceeded in death by his wife Frances and parents, Sidney and Alice Freese. He is survived by siblings Florence Luers, Mickey Goetz and Alan Freese.Son Bob and his wife Sherry; daughter Kathy Hooper; son Bill and his wife Cyd, and son Burt and his wife Julie; grandchildren Brady Patrick and his wife Nici, Nikki Cain and her husband Matt, Dena Jaminet and her husband Jesse, Chad Freese and his wife Corrie, Brett Freese and his wife Kayla, Jake Freese and his wife Kinsey; and Trisha Freese.Great Grandchildren, Raven Ablard, Easton and Braxton Freese, Karlee, Jenna andCora Freese, Jaelie and Taela Jaminet, Cale and Cobie Freese, Bryce Cain, Hadley Freese, Tayton Goodman, Tagarty Poole, Ethen Vaughn, Addison and Carson Trujillo.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to The Frank Freese Memorial Rodeo Fund in care of The Hudson Funeral Home to be used for improvements at the City of Lander Rodeo Arena.