Frank Bach

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Frank Bach, 78, of Faulkton, passed away Saturday, September 16, 2017 at Faulkton Senior Living.

A memorial service was held at 10:30 a.m., Saturday, October 7, 2017 at the United Church of Faulkton with Pastor Bill Hoffman presiding. A prayer service was held at  7:00 p.m., Friday, October 6, 2017 at the church.

Frank Arthur Bach was born June 7, 1939 in Faulkton, SD to Harold and Emma (Herrmann) Bach. He was raised on the family farm near Burkmere. Some of his favorite childhood memories were of time spent outdoors on the farm or fishing at nearby Latham Lake.

He attended grade school at the Latham Country School near their farm. Often the school teacher lived with his family. At age 16, the family moved into Faulkton, and he graduated from Faulkton High School in 1957.

While in high school Frank worked at the Standard Oil Station. During this time, he also took flying lessons and worked on the ground crew for local crop dusters. He loved flying and even flew himself back and forth to Mitchell while attending Dakota Wesleyan University.

On November 9, 1960 Frank married the love of his life, Theresa (Frasier) Fuhrmann, widow of Eugene Fuhrmann. Into this union she brought her seven-year-old son, Thomas, and her two-year-old daughter, Deanna. Frank loved Tom and Dena as his own children. He and Theresa were married almost 50 years when she passed away September 12, 2010.

At the time Frank and Theresa were married, he had already joined his father’s contracting business of Bach Plumbing and Heating. In 1964 this business evolved into Community TV and Appliance when Frank became the dealer for RCA/Whirlpool. Theresa worked with him until they retired in 2000.

Frank never lost his love of flying. A highlight of his life was when he and fellow aviation enthusiasts were instrumental in securing the donation of the Vietnam War Era A-7 Corsair from the National Guard Base in Sioux City, IA. He was also part of the transportation team which in 1995 brought the Corsair to the Faulkton Airport where it is on display.

Throughout his life, Frank loved spending time outdoors hunting, fishing, trapping and photography. He and Theresa enjoyed traveling, and in later years spent most evenings simply driving in the country around the local area.

When Theresa became a resident of the Faulkton Senior Living Center following a stroke, Frank became a most faithful visitor. You could practically set your clock by his daily visits. He designed and built a special sidecar to hold her wheelchair and attached this to his lawn tractor so they could continue to enjoy their evening rides from the nursing home. He called it “Theresa’s Chariot”. Following her passing, his evening drives in the country continued as his way of saying goodnight to her.

Frank will be especially remembered as one who could fix most everything. He was energized by the challenge of figuring things out, of inventing and building things, or trying something new. He had more hobbies than we could list.

In more recent years he’s become known for the sculptures he has created and displayed in his yard. His final creation was the seven-foot concrete Mountain Man. It seems appropriate since for years he’s signed his writings and letters as, “The Last Mountain Man of the Prairie.”

Grateful for having shared his life are his two children: Thomas (Sheila) Fuhrmann of Ulysses, KS and Deanna (Greg) Juelfs of Buffalo, SD; nine grandchildren: Tamara Lisle, Laura (Clinton) Bolton, Sharla (Brian) Loucks, Nathan (Kerri) Juelfs, Anson (Kristine) Juelfs, Loren (Kelly) Juelfs, Edward (Rachel) Juelfs, Ben (Lacey) Juelfs, and Helen Juelfs; 23 great grandchildren; two great-great grandchildren; one sister, Mary (Tom) Myers; and numerous other family and friends.

Frank was welcomed into Heaven by his parents; wife, Theresa; and one sister, Barbara Dawson-Brown.

Luce Funeral Home of Faulkton has been entrusted with Frank’s arrangements.