Frank Peter Kvasnicka

CELEBRANT
Rev. Fr. Mathew Vazhappilly
MUSIC
Organist ~ Georgianne Pravecek
St. George Choir
Congregational Hymns
Frank was born October 4, 1915 to Frank and Christina (Jezek) Kvasnicka, Sr., at McKlusky, North Dakota. At a very young age, Frank and his parents moved to South Dakota and purchased a farm south of Tripp were he attended rural school, District #48. Frank married Evelyn A. Wagner at Yankton on June 26, 1939. They lived and raised their family on the family farm. They retired from farming in the early 70's. Their son, Eugene, helped them through those years so they could remain on the family farm until the fall of 1997. They then enjoyed living in the Lidi Apartments in Tyndall until October 2003, when Frank and Evelyn moved to the Sister James Care Center in Yankton. Frank received excellent, loving care and friendship from the wonderful, dedicated staff of Majestic Bluffs right up until the time of his death.
Frank was a very proud first-generation American citizen of Czechoslovakian heritage. Frank spoke fluent Bohemian and was very proud of his Czech heritage. He was a life-long member of Sts. Cyril Methodius Catholic Church in Vodnany.
Frank not only was a farmer for over 50 years, but had a very eventful life. Frank was a Flying Farmer after he became a pilot in the early 40's. Frank's first plane was a Fairchild bi-wing that he learned to fly. Following that was his love for Piper Cubs, which he flew until the late 80's. Late in the afternoon after a hot, hard day of farming, you would catch Frank cooling off in the sky in his J3 Piper, checking out the farm crops from the air or looking for neighbors’ lost livestock. His daughter, Elaine, was always ready to go flying with her Dad. Frank also went to blacksmith school and set up a blacksmith shop on the farm, using those skills for the rest of his time on the farm. Many, many times Frank would leave his own crops waiting to be harvested in the fields and leave to weld the breakdowns of the neighbors. Those events always came first and he never refused anyone because he was too busy. Frank was an excellent mechanic and he passed on those skills - and many other talents - to his sons, Charlie and Eugene. His family and friends enjoyed many fish dinners from the fish that Frank caught. He trapped fur-bearing animals that were causing a problem, and he even hunted coyotes with the airplane during the time it was legal. Frank had a license for using explosives and he would dynamite any neighbor’s big boulders that needed breaking up to clear the fields. He also wired the firework displays for the local towns' annual celebrations and loved to entertain his family and friends with his own fireworks displays. Frank had a love for “junk” that he started hauling home from sales in the 50's – what we would call antiques today. Frank displayed and loved showing his treasures in many buildings on the farm and enjoyed trading with many antique dealers through the years. Frank loved all kinds of guns, some dating back to the Civil War, and he enjoyed collecting them and shooting them. Frank loved coin collecting and was always showing his coin collections to everyone that would listen and he loved making friends with the coin collectors with whom he traded. Frank was an artist when it came to welding and building “things.”  He re-built several Model-A and Model-T vehicles. Frank built a helicopter and snowmobile along with replicas of a stagecoach and a buckboard. His children, grandchildren and friends got many rides on them through the years and he would enter them in the local celebration parades. Frank   built  replicas  of machine guns and many, many cannons, which he loved to load with M80's and cherry bombs. Frank built a replica of the Vodnany Catholic Church for the 100-year celebration of the founding of the church, which was a part of many parades. The Vodnany Church replica,  along with others, is in the museum at Scotland. Frank was also a gifted musician. He played all kinds of accordions by “ear” and sang and he shared this gift of Bohemian music with his family and friends. Frank played in Kaylor at the local bars for entertainment and at dances. Everyone knew of Frank's love to eat, not only Evelyn's good cooking and baking but also anyone else's. He especially loved all the homemade ethnic foods of the family’s Bohemian and German friends that lived in the neighborhood. Once Ft. Randall Casino opened, it became a frequent trip for Frank and Evelyn. At “the Hill,” they visited with their old friends and made many new ones. During Frank's free time, you would find him reading. He was an avid reader right up to the end, and he never lost his excellent memory of his life. Frank and Evelyn enjoyed many trips with Eugene through the years touring South Dakota, Wyoming, Nebraska, Minnesota, and Iowa. They also enjoyed traveling to many states and sight-seeing as they visited with their son, Charlie, and his family in Pocatello, Idaho and their daughter, Elaine, and her family in Chicago, Illinois, Jackson, Michigan, and Winona, Minnesota. Unfortunately, they were unable to visit the Southwest where Elaine now lives.
Frank and Evelyn farmed during one of the best times in the 20th century. There would be four beautiful, well-kept farms to almost every square mile. On their small farms, all the farmers and their families were able to raise good, healthy food and even have some extra money left at the end of the year. The farmers of that time all traveled and farmed with horses and then along came the automobiles and tractors to replace them. They all helped each other when one of them needed help. Frank always had a bottle of Peppermint Schnapps under the front seat of his pickup through the years to share with his friends. This is a small highlight of the colorful, extraordinary life Frank P. Kvasnicka, Jr. lived.
Eternally blessed for sharing his life with his love, smile, music, laughter, and many wonderful memories are his wife, Evelyn; his children: Charles P. Kvasnicka (deceased), Pocatello, Idaho, Eugene F. Kvasnicka and Mary Kay Rokusek, Yankton, South Dakota, and Elaine (Patrick) Soukup, Gilbert, Arizona; four grandchildren: John (Amy) Soukup, Peoria, Arizona, Paul Soukup, Winona, Minnesota, David Kvasnicka, Pocatello, Idaho, Laurie (Brett) Struchen, Chubbic, Idaho; and two great-grandchildren: Tony Kvasnicka and Dayna Kvasnicka, Pocatello, Idaho. His sister, Lorraine (Frank) Martz, Wakonda, brother-in-law, Bernie Wagner, Yankton, and eight nieces and nephews also survive Frank.
Frank was preceded in death by his son, Charlie F. Kvasnicka, August 2002, his parents, Frank and Christina, and his infant sister, Josephine.
Frank died very peacefully with his family surrounding him as he flew his J3 Cub into the Big Sky and into the arms of Our Heavenly Father. Frank is at peace now forever.

The family will be present to greet visitors from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Tuesday, June 9, 2009 at the Goglin Funeral Home in Tyndall, South Dakota
Visitation will resume at 3:00 p.m. until 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, June 10, 2009 at the Goglin Funeral Home in Scotland, South Dakota