Obituary of Franz Koenig

FRANZ “FRANK” KOENIG Franz Xaver Koenig was born 86 years ago in the picturesque mountain town of Kipfenberg in Bavaria, Germany, and passed away on Monday, July 15, 2013, at the Regina General Hospital with his family by his side. He was the middle child of five boys and six girls, all of whom are deceased except for two younger sisters, Anneliese and Rosa, living in Kipfenberg. Frank learned the trade of glass blowing at the age of fourteen. He was very proud of his German heritage - hard working, punctuality, discipline, cleanliness and honesty. Frank was in the German Jungvolk and then a soldier serving with the Mountain Climbing troop. He was a World War II prisoner in the USA and then France until 1949. With no jobs in Germany he immigrated to Canada in 1953, working construction, becoming a respected journeyman in the tile and marble trade, leaving a legacy in many of the large buildings in Regina. He was an active member of the German Harmonie Club as the club became the focal point of gathering for many new immigrants. Frank’s passion was the outdoors - hunting and fly fishing. He was instrumental in starting the German Hunting and Fishing Club Waidmanns Lust 44 years ago. Frank’s powerful singing and yodeling voice will be greatly missed. He loved the mountains and yearly family vacations were camping, hiking, and fishing in the Rocky Mountain streams, but he also loved the prairies, the northern lakes and rivers. Frank and Frieda traveled extensively to Europe, Russia, Scandinavia, Africa and the Caribbean. Gardening was another passion of Franks, he and Frieda grew a large vegetable garden as well as many flowers. Spending time in the yard in the latter years gave him great pleasure. Frank is survived by Frieda, his wife of 56 years; son Frank; daughters, Emma and Amy of Burlington, ON; son Ward of Regina; daughter Marika (Paul) and two year old daughter, Marci of Whistler, BC; and sister-in-law Heidi (Ron) Grainger and family of St. Albert, AB. Frank was very proud of his family. He had no relatives in Canada and therefore flew back 22 times to his birth place in Germany visiting with siblings and their families. Memorial Service will be held at Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church, 1909 Ottawa Street, Regina, SK on Friday, July 19, 2013 at 11:00 a.m. with Pastor Lindsay Hognestad officiating. Flowers gratefully declined. Memorial donations may be made to Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church, 1909 Ottawa Street, Regina, SK, S4P 1P7. To leave an online message of condolence, please visit www.speersfuneralchapel.com