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January 10, 1941 – March 18, 2024
Mass of Christian Burial for Frank Seiler, 83, of Timber Lake will be at 10:30 AM, Tuesday, April 2, 2024, at Holy Cross Catholic Church in Timber Lake. Burial will be at St. Bonaventure Catholic Cemetery in McIntosh under the direction of Kesling Funeral Home of Mobridge. Visitation will start at 6 PM with a prayer service at 7 PM Monday at the church. Frank passed away Monday, March 18, 2024, at the Mobridge Regional Hospital.
Book 1] Frank’s Formative Years:
Francis “Frank” Duane Seiler was born on January 10, 1941, in McIntosh, SD to George and Amelia Seiler. Frank was the youngest, spanning twenty years of nine children. As such, he spent more time in the country kitchen at his mother’s feet, subconsciously retaining and learning Amelia’s non-precise measurements for many of her recipes. However, he still spent plenty of time tending to other various farm chores, as well. Frank solely attended school in McIntosh, except for his freshman year of high school when he attended St. Mary’s, a boarding school, in New England, ND, due to the fire at the McIntosh School. Frank missed the farm, his family, and his old school an awful lot, and he tried many various Tom Sawyeresque “techniques” to try to get sent back home. Luckily, Frank returned home after a year, and he harnessed his energy and competitive spirit into various sports, including basketball and football, where he lettered in both. Frank graduated from McIntosh High School in 1959.
[Book 2] The Education of an Educator and the Making of a Family:
Frank’s maturity and growth in high school allowed him to call a new pack his family, as he traveled to Aberdeen, SD, where he attended Northern State College majoring in education. He even had a wrestling scholarship despite never wrestling in high school. A few months later, on June 20, 1964, Frank married Georgia Johnson at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Aberdeen.
In the fall of 1964, Frank began teaching at Leahy Elementary School in Raleigh, ND. The following year he became the principal at Leahy, where he also taught 6th grade. Frank also started coaching the Varsity Boys Basketball team at St. Gertrude’s Catholic High School that same year. This is when he began his journey as a father, to Cherie in April of 1965 and then to Francis Jr. “Frankie”, less than a year later, in April 1966. In 1967-68 he taught and coached full-time at St. Gertrude’s Catholic School.
In July of 1968, Frank and his young family moved to Kadoka, SD, where he wore many hats as an educator. Frank was the elementary and the high school principal. He taught U.S. Government, World History, and Driver’s Ed. He was also the Athletic Director and the wrestling coach. He spent his summers flipping homes with his buddies to help provide for his family. In December of 1968, they received an early Christmas present in the form of an angelic baby, Barbara Jo. They welcomed their 4th bundle of joy, Beth, in June 1971.
In the spring of 1976, Frank was asked to apply for the Superintendent position in his hometown, McIntosh. He proudly held this position for 15 years. Nearly eight years after the birth of their last child, Frank and Georgia added Melissa to the crew in July 1979. However, they had one more surprise when they completed their half-dozen order of “delightful donuts” with their second son and final child, George, in November 1982.
Sadly after 25 years of marriage, on November 18, 1989, Frank saw Georgia, his dearly departed wife, pass into the loving hands of her Creator, Savior, and Spirit.
[Book 3] A Tribute to Frank Seiler:
In 1991, Frank resigned as the Superintendent of McIntosh, and he began his 20-year career as the Superintendent of the Timber Lake School District.
While living in Timber Lake, and with the help of the friendships their children had created with one another, Frank met and began dating Donna Kraft. Despite having five children under 18 still at home between the two of them, four adult children and their ever-growing families, and living in separate houses, Frank and Donna fell in love and dated for ten years before they were married on June 16, 2001. Frank officially added three more children, Chasity, Cassie, and Ross, to his saga of fatherhood, although they had gained those titles in his heart and mind years before.
Frank accomplished numerous goals over the two decades that he was the superintendent of TLHS School District, including the implementation and installation of the internet throughout many northwest area schools, attending and rooting for athletic teams and academic competitors in countless activities, expansion of the Timber Lake school facilities, and constantly searching for new opportunities for his students and his staff. Frank used his intelligence, wit, humor, and gift of gab to network on behalf of his students and many students throughout rural South Dakota. On April 4, 2011, U.S. Senator Tim Johnson, one of the founders of the Senate Impact Aid Caucus, read aloud to President Barack Obama and the other members on the Senate floor a “Tribute to Frank Seiler.” Senator Johnson’s speech commended Frank for his nearly 50-year career as an educator in South Dakota, and for his involvement in the National Association of Federally Impacted Schools, NAFIS, since 1975. He continued his appreciation for Frank’s leadership in the Impact Aid Community by discussing how pleased he was to announce in May of 2010 that the Timber Lake School District would receive a $5 million grant from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to replace the existing high school and to make further improvements to other parts of the school. Senator Johnson concluded his speech: “On behalf of all South Dakotans, I thank Frank for his years of tireless dedication to students in our State and for the lasting legacy he leaves. I also thank his wife, Donna for her continued support. I wish them both a happy and healthy retirement,” and cemented Frank’s legacy into the Congressional Record.
Frank enjoyed spending time with his family and friends, whether he was fishing, camping, playing cards, or traveling. Frank always had a mixed tape of his music ready, countless stories to share, an occasional joke or ten, and numerous “Frankisms” to pelt out. However, one of his favorite retirement activities was playing, cuddling, and spoiling his favorite family member, their beloved dog, Max, whom they took everywhere. Max was even included in the weddings of several of their children, attended state athletic events, and he was temporarily allowed into the ICU when Frank was recovering from his heart surgery. Frank and Donna celebrated their 20th wedding anniversary in June of 2021 surrounded by their children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. Frank and Donna continue to call Timber Lake home and are now proudly the grandparents of 27 grandchildren, 11 great-children and counting.
On Monday evening, March 18, 2024, after having recently seen many of his children and grandchildren, other family, and friends, Frank passed away at the Mobridge Regional Hospital with his loving caregiving wife by his side. He played one heck of a hand against multiple opponents: heart surgery, cancer, and dementia, but he took the sage advice of Kenny Rogers in “The Gambler” and he folded his hand and slipped peacefully away.
Frank was survived by his Wife: Donna Seiler, Children: Cherie McGraw, Frank Seiler Jr., Barbara Nyberg (Randy), Beth Hoff (Wayne), Melissa Darby (Weslee), Dr. George Seiler, Chas (Jer) Chandler, Cassie Kraft and Ross (Heather) Kraft. Sister-in laws: DeLoris Seiler, Bev Seiler, along with numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren and relatives of Donna (Kraft) Seiler.
Frank was preceded in death by his parents, Amelia & George Seiler, his wife, Georgia Marilyn Johnson Seiler, his father and mother-in-law George and Madelline Johnson, his father and mother-in-law Frank and Severina Kraft, Max (his faithful companion that never talked back), his sisters, Delores and Henry Hill, Sally and John Duggan and Al Haman, Marie and Ed Erz, Geneva Ellis, Betty and David Erskine (Tom McAda) brothers, George and Rose Seiler, Jim Seiler, Jospeh Seiler and grandson Andrew Kraft.
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