Frances Alberta Meeker

Frances "Franny" Meeker, 61, passed away peacefully Thursday Oct. 25, 2012, at home with family and friends at her side. She fought a tough battle with ovarian cancer with more courage than can be imagined; she kept a good attitude and a good sense of humor to her last day.

Franny was born June 9, 1951, to Boyd and Thelma McGhie Baker in Preston. They resided in rural Chatfield until her mother died of leukemia when she was 4 years old. Franny and her father then moved into Chatfield and lived with her grandparents Alice and William Baker. She was also taken in by parents of her friends and thought of as another daughter and sister. She graduated from Chatfield High School in 1969.

On Dec. 15, 1973, she married Les Meeker at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Chafield. They lived in Hamel and Eagan for 2 1/2 years but came back to Chatfield every weekend to enjoy family and friends. They moved back to Chatfield in 1976. They were blessed with three daughters Jeanette, Janelle and Jessica.

Franny enjoyed spending time with her family, her grandchildren, every kid she knew and her dog Snicker. She also enjoyed family campfires, dancing, reading and vacations.

Franny had a very special gift for connecting and working with kids. She worked with kids her entire life from her teenage years on. She was a babysitter, then daycare mom and then a paraprofessional working with special needs of children at Chatfield schools. She then started daycare again, which she did until her illness. She especially loved caring for babies. Many of her early daycare children sought her out to take care of their children. When her long week was done, she was still happy to watch kids on the weekend. She was known by many as a second mom or a second grandma.

She will be greatly missed by her family, friends and many adults and children she cared for.

Franny is survived by her husband, Les; three daughters, Jeanette Meeker, of Chatfield, Janelle (Jason) Kaytor, of Owatonna and Jessica (John) Lutzi, of Byron; and four grandchildren, Danika and Owen Kaytor and Atley and Rees Lutzi of Byron.

She was preceded in death by her parents and grandparents.

Visitation will be from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m Sunday, at Riley Funeral Home in Chatfield and at the church an hour before the service. The funeral will be at 11 a.m. Monday at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Chatfield. Burial will be in St. Paul Lutheran Cemetery in Chatfield.