Eula Witmore Frantz

Eula was born Jan. 13, 1930, in Rich Hill, Mo., and died peacefully on Dec. 14, 2023 in Lincoln, Neb.

Her elementary years were spent as part of the Happy Hill, Mo., community where her parents, Nora and Merle Witmore, farmed. She had an only sister, Ann (Witmore) Burger, who was five years her senior. Both sisters became well-versed in vocal and keyboard music. Most of Eula’s professional life was spent as a pianist, accompanist and organist.

Eula met Byron Frantz at McPherson, Kan. where their respective families had moved in the mid-40s. They were subsequently married at the McPherson Church of the Brethren on Dec. 21, 1949, the longest night of the year and the worst blizzard of that season. They spent the first five years of marriage managing a family dairy farm near Beatrice, Neb., where they also were immersed in the work of the Holmesville Church of the Brethren.

They had five children over the ten years of the 1950s. In the decade of the 1960s Byron completed a Master in Industrial Arts from Colorado State College and Eula completed her Bachelor of Arts degree in Music Education from McPherson College in 1968.

Eula and Byron lived in Windsor, for 50 years prior to shorter stays in Fleming and Haxtun for a total of 61 years in their beloved adopted state (1956 to 2017). Eula spent the last six years of her life in Lincoln but remained a member of the Haxtun Church of the Brethren, frequently participating online.

Eula was widely known for her compassion toward animals; raising more baby and orphaned critters than one could count, including a dray of squirrels.

She was always active in local schools, accompanying school and community choirs and theater productions as well as substitute teaching, particularly in the Windsor School District.

Music and the church were synonymous for Eula where she regularly played and sang including playing one summer for the denomination’s annual national gathering. She could sight read effortlessly but complained that the pianos seemed to be getting taller as she got older, something she remedied by adding yet one more pillow to the piano bench.

A casual gathering to commemorate her passing will be planned for the near future and will be sure to include much laughter and many stories that are best shared in the oral tradition.

She is survived by daughters Pam Barnes, Diane and husband Noel Ditmars and Kathryn and husband Chris Whitacre; son Ken and wife Paula Frantz; grandchildren Claire and husband Dan Howland, Elizabeth Barnes, Nora Ditmars and Steve Schrag, Hannah Ditmars and Eric Buckwalter, Jessica Frantz and John Ruelas, Jason Frantz and Mishka Borzova’, Nathan Frantz and Olivia Kurajian, Rachel Frantz and Luke Georges, Ruth Whitacre and Michael Shafer and Ira Whitacre’ great-grandchildren Ezra Buckwalter, Leilani Ruelas and Evelyn Kurajian-Donnelly.

Eula is preceded in death by husband Byron; son David Frantz; grandson Christopher Barnes; and son-in-law Bob Barnes.

Memorial contributions and/or notes to the family may be directed toward the Haxtun Church of the Brethren, P.O. Box 536, Haxtun, CO 80731 or, [email protected].