Family of

Gustave Albert Franzen, Sr.
&
Ellen Carlson Bladlund Franzen

 

 

Gustave Albert Franzen, Sr. & Ellen Carlson Bladlund Franzen
Wedding Photograph June 7, 1905


Photos courtesy of Gustave Franzen family unless otherwise noted


Pilkington Slough Ranch

 


GUST FRANZEN, SR. FAMILY


Listening to the Burton D. Hurd Land Company agents give the following description of Collegeport: "These lands are rich and fertile as man ever tilled. The production beyond, being capable of producing three or four crops a year. They offer the one-crop per year northern farmer opportunities never dreamed of. To the orchardist and truck grower the soil responds so quickly as to make yields of $700.00 per acre not uncommon" were the words that induced by father, Gust Franzen, a farmer in Essex, Iowa, eagerly to come to Texas and join the Hurd Land Party at Hotel Collegeport on May 20, 1909. On August 23, 1909, he wrote a check on Commercial National Bank, Essex, Iowa, for the amount of $586.00 as a down payment on 140 acres in the DeMoss area, four miles southeast of Collegeport.


On December 24, 1909, Papa, Mama, Arnold (18 months) and I (2 1/2 years) arrived by train at Blessing, Texas, and drove our big buggy to Hotel Collegeport (the railroad tracks did not come into Collegeport until September 8, 1910) where we spent the night. Uncle Richard Franzen, who had ridden on the freight car with the livestock, buggies, wagon, and household goods, hauled our possessions to DeMoss minus the warm bedding which Mama had left in Iowa since "it never gets cold in Collegeport." We boarded with the Olson family, who lived where the Fred Law home is today, for three months while our large barn and temporary home were being built and our artesian well was being drilled by L. E. Liggett. The following year the folks built a white cottage which stood east of the present day home. The following children were born in this home: Clifford (b. 1910); Mamie (b. 1913); Gustave, Jr., (b. 1917) and Carl (b. 1918). In 1920, Mr. Will Shubring built the two-story home in which Ellen (b. 1921); Alexander (b. 1923) and James (b. 1925) were born.

 

The bright picture turned dim when the weather got very cold and the first year's rice crop was lost since the irrigation canals were not completed. The second year the pumps on the Colorado River which furnished the irrigation water pumped too much salt water and damaged that crop also. We made our living farming cotton, corn, sorghum, raising cattle, and selling cream and butter, and chickens and eggs. We also raised a garden and gathered fruit from the orchard south of the home. There were no roads from our house to Collegeport, and we had to travel through the Jonathan Pierce Ranch and ford Pilkington Slough because there was no bridge across it. One time Papa was on his way to deliver some ducks we had raised to Hotel Collegeport and when he crossed the Pilkington Slough, the water was so deep that the ducks swam out of the back of the buggy.


Papa was born in Röd, Sweden, January 18, 1881, and came to Essex, Iowa, to visit his mother's relatives, the Malmbergs, in 1902 to escape serving three years of compulsory service in the Swedish army when he became 21. Mama, Ellen Carlson Bladlund, was born in Stockaryd, Sweden, August 20, 1886, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Carl Anderson. She came to the United States in October, 1903 to make her home with an uncle, John Almquist. On June 7, 1905, she was united in marriage with Gustave Albert Franzen. They made their home in Imogene, Iowa, and became American citizens. Papa was so proud to be an American citizen. He always told his children "pay your taxes and your poll-tax so that you can vote."
 

In 1928, a good cotton crop and good prices made it possible for the folks to rent an apartment in Houston for Arnold, Clifford, and Dorothy while they were attending Rice Institute.

 

Papa was a member of The Industrial League and served as trustee in DeMoss and later, after consolidation, in Collegeport. He was an Elder in the Presbyterian Church and always had room in his buggy or his car to take another person to church. The family regrets that he never got to enjoy receiving the royalty checks from the gas well drilled on his land before his death.
 

I can remember when we first came to Texas that Mama would point to the articles of food she wanted when we came to the stores in Collegeport as she couldn't speak English. Her reputation for hospitality was wide-spread though, and she always had that pot of coffee on the stove every morning at 10:00 and again at 4:00 in the afternoon when relatives and friends dropped in. She was a member of the Presbyterian Church. The Fellowship Hall bears her name. Dean and Dorothy Merck, who had the hall built in 1969, gave it in memory and honor of their mothers, Mrs. B. V. (Sadie) Merck and Mrs. Gust (Ellen) Franzen and it was named the Sadie-Ellen Hall.
 

Alex owns the old Franzen home place and that is where he lives; Gustave and his family own the other farm where they have a brick home; Mamie Wells lives a mile or so east of the Franzens in the former Louis Walter home which she has remodeled; Dean and I live on Farm to Market highway 1095 in Collegeport; Arnold's widow, Mildred, lives in Houston; Clifford lives in Lone Oak, as does Emma Ellen and her husband, Billy Bryan; James and Ann live in Pearl River, Louisiana.
 

Papa (1881-1945), Mama (1886-1970), and Carl (1918-1921), who died of diphtheria, are buried in Collegeport Cemetery. Arnold (1909-1953) was killed in a plane crash and is buried in a Dallas cemetery.

 

Dorothy Franzen Merck - 1986

Historic Matagorda County, Volume II
 


Franzen Family - Photo taken in Iowa
Brothers standing - Oscar, Karl, Richard and Gustav Franzen
Seated - Helma Franzen Doherty and her daughter, Alice Doherty Elsner,
Hulda Malmberg and husband, John Malmberg, Boy - Clifford Franzen, son of Gustav


Photo courtesy of Jeff & Michelle Franzen and Asa Bjenning-Garnbratt
 
Siblings -
Gustave and Hilma Fransson/Franzen


Photo courtesy of Jeff & Michelle Franzen

 

Brothers
Gustave and Richard Franzen



 



Gustave Albert, Dorothy Helen & Ellen Franzen
Postcard from Gustave to his sister Elin Johanson dated April 7, 1908 while the family was living in Iowa

 



Gustave, Ellen, Arnold, Dorothy & Clifford Franzen
Taken in 1911 after move to Texas
 


Clifford, Dorothy, Mamie and Ellen Franzen
(horses Lulu and Babe)


 



1946 photo of the second home of the Gustave and Ellen Franzen family. Built in 1920 by Will Schubring.
 


Richard Franzen, Arnold Franzen (son of Gustave), Gustave Franzen

 


Gust, James, Arnold, Alex, Gustave Franzen

 


Gust & Ellen Franzen Home Place


 


The Franzen Family (ca 1950)
Alex, Dorothy, Arnold, Gustave, Ellen, Clifford, James, Emma, Mamie
(deceased at time of photo--Gust and Carl)

Photo courtesy of Gustave Franzen family
 


The Franzen Family
Dorothy, Clifford, "Goose", Ellen, Mamie, James, Emma, Alex
(deceased at photo date--Gust, Arnold & Carl)

Photo courtesy of Gustave Franzen family

 

 

Gustave A. Franzen, Native of Sweden Dies in Collegeport
 

Death took one of the pioneer farmers of Matagorda county Sunday at 9:15 p.m. when Mr. Gustave Albert Franzen, longtime resident of Collegeport died at the family home there at the age of 64 years, one month and 19 days.

 

Born in Sweden , he came to the United States when a very young man and has made this county his home for 36 years.

 

He is survived by his widow, Mrs. Gustave A. Franzen of Collegeport; three daughters, Mrs. Gerald Wells of Collegeport, Mrs. Billy Bob Bryan of Fort Thomas, Ky., Mrs. Dean Merck of Collegeport, five sons, Albert of Houston, Cpl. Clifford Franzen with the U. S. Army in the Philippine Islands, Gustave A., Jr. of Collegeport, James Franzen S1/c now in the Pacific; two sisters, Mrs. Hilma Doherty of Chicago, Ill., Mrs. Mimmie Johanson of Sweden, three brothers, R. J. of Warren, Minn., Carl of Imogene, Ia., and Oscar of Shenandoah, Ia.

 

Funeral services will be held Tuesday at 4 p.m. from Taylor Bros. Funeral Home with Rev. George Gillespie of Palacios officiating. Burial will be in the Collegeport Cemetery.

The Daily Tribune, Monday, April 9, 1945
 

Mrs. Ellen Franzen

 

Funeral services for Mrs. Gust (Ellen) Franzen, 83, were held at the First Presbyterian Church of Collegeport Monday, June 8, at 4 p.m. with the Rev. Leslie E. Webb officiating. Interment was in the Collegeport Cemetery .

 

A pioneer resident of Collegeport, she passed away in her home on June 5.

 

She was born August 20, 1886 in Sweden , the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Carl Anderson. She came to the United States in 1903 to make her home with an uncle, John Almquist, in Essex , Iowa . On June 7, 1905 , she was united in marriage with Gustave Franzen and they made their home in Imogene , Iowa . On Christmas eve 1909 they arrived in Collegeport with two small children, Dorothy and Arnold. They made their home on a farm south of Collegeport where they were blessed with seven more children. She was preceded in death by her husband and two sons, Carl and Arnold.

 

She was a member of The First Presbyterian Church of Collegeport and last year when the new wing was added to the church the hall was named Sadie Ellen Hall in her honor.

 

Survivors include three daughters, Mrs. Dean Merck, Mrs. Gerald Wells of Collegeport, Mrs. B. B. Bryan of Oklahoma City , Okla. ; four sons, Clifford Franzen of Buffaloe, Gustave and Alex Franzen of Collegeport, James Franzen of Gretna , La. ; one brother, Magni Carlson of Sweeny; 15 grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.

 

The Palacios Beacon, Thursday, June 11, 1970
 


 


Dorothy and Dean Merck
 



Dorothy's 1930 Rice University photo

Dorothy Merck
 

Dorothy Merck, 94, of Collegeport died April 8, 2002 at Matagorda House Nursing Home. She was born July 25, 1907 to the late Gustav Albert and Ellen Augusta Blandlund Franzen. Mrs. Merck was a member of the Collegeport Presbyterian Church and a longtime resident of Collegeport.

Survivors include: daughter-in-law Nelda Merck of League City; brothers, Alex Franzen of Collegeport and James Franzen of Pearl River, La.; three grandchildren, Mark Merck and wife Cathy of Collegeport, Russell Merck and wife Hayes of Cromwell, Conn., and Galen Merck of League City; two great grandchildren, Danyelle and Matthew Merck both of Collegeport. She was preceded in death by her husband Dean E. Merck; by son, Dean F. Merck; sisters, Mamie Wells and Emma Bryan; brothers, Clifford, Gustave "Goose" and Arnold Franzen.

Funeral service will be 2 p.m. Thursday, April 11, 2002, at Taylor Bros. Funeral Home with the Reverends Andy and Janell Blair officiating. Interment will follow at Hawley Cemetery.

Pallbearers will be Mark, Russell, and Galen Merck, G. W., Derril, and Wesley Franzen. Honorary pallbearer will be Matthew Merck. The family will receive friends Wednesday evening from 5 to 7 p.m. at Taylor Bros. Funeral Home. Memorials may be made to the Collegeport Presbyterian Church.

Arrangements are with Taylor Bros. Funeral Home. A00014B2002AR10

Wednesday, April 10, 2002                                                                              

Dean Eanes Merck

Dean Eanes Merck, 89, of Collegeport, passed away Wednesday, January 22, 1997 at the Palacios Bay Nursing and Rehab Center, Palacios, TX. He was born July 20, 1907 in Independence, Okla. to Baulser V. Merck and Sadie Moore Merck. He came to Collegeport, with his parents, two brothers and five sisters in September 1909. He attended school in Collegeport, was an active athlete, and enjoyed playing baseball. It was not uncommon to hear “Home Run, Deanie Boy!” when he played on the Palacios baseball team. He enjoyed flying and piloted his own airplane, until he was not able to renew his pilot’s license due to heart trouble. He was an active member of the First Presbyterian Church of Collegeport where he was an Elder and Sunday School Teacher. As Chairman of the Building Committee, he directed the construction of the Sanctuary and the Fellowship Hall. He was recognized by his church for his 40 years of active service on the Session. He was also chairman of the Mopac House Foundation and an active member of the Collegeport Volunteer Fire Department, which was organized around his dining room table. He began his farming career farming cotton and later began farming rice in 1938. He enjoyed farming and was named Matagorda County’s 1976 Rice Farmer of the Year by the Bay City Chamber of Commerce. He was also a member of the Matagorda County Historical Commission and served as a Director of the Matagorda County Museum. He was a member of the Matagorda County Historical Society. At the 1992 Heritage Day Celebration, Dean E. Merck was presented a plaque, dedicated to an Outstanding 20th Century Pioneer, by the Matagorda County Historical Society. He was also a member of the Hawley Cemetery Association in Blessing. He is survived by his wife of 64 years, Dorothy F. Merck, a son and daughter-in-law, Dean F. and Nelda Merck of League City, by his grandsons, Mark Merck and his wife Cathy, Russell Merck and his wife Hayes, and Galen Merck. He is also survived by his great grandchildren, Danyelle Merck and Matthew Merck and by a host of family and friends. Funeral services will be held 2 p. m. Saturday, January 25, at Taylor Brothers Funeral Home Chapel with Rev. Dave Gallaher officiating. Interment will follow at Hawley Cemetery, in Blessing. Pallbearers will be Mark Merck, Russell Merck, Galen Merck, G. W. Franzen, Derril Franzen and Wesley Franzen. Arrangements are with Taylor Bros. Funeral Home, Bay City, TX.

Daily Tribune, January 24, 1997
 


Arnold O. Franzen
November 12, 1908, Red Oak, Montgomery County, Iowa
December 11, 1953, Sherman, Grayson County, Texas
Burial Restland Memorial Park, Dallas, Dallas County, Texas


 

Arnold and his bicycle at left

 

Arnold's 1930 Rice University Photo


Arnold, Carole & Mildred

 

5 Dallas Oilmen On Missing Plane
Magnolia Employees

Dallas--An intensive air search began for a two-engine Magnolia Petroleum Co. plane believed to have crashed between Dallas and Tulsa with five persons aboard.

The plane left Dallas at 9:35 a. m. yesterday and was last heard from when the pilot reported at 9:55 a. m. to the Perrin Air Force Base in Grayson County that some of his instruments were not working properly.

The pilot and four passengers were Magnolia employees. All lived in Dallas.

Sam J. Willis, chief pilot for Magnolia, said the plane had enough gas for four hours normal flying time, but could stretch its time in the air to five hours.

"This means that the plane was almost certain to have used up its gas supply by shortly after 2 p. m. (yesterday) and we must presume that it is down somewhere between here and Tulsa,: he said.

Others said they were sure some of the occupants of the plane would have telephoned last night if the plane had landed safely somewhere.

Magnolia said they believed the pilot, William H. Thompson, 33, continued toward Tulsa after contacting Perrin AFB. At that time the weather was much better in Tulsa than in Dallas or at Ardmore, Okla., 35 miles northwest of Perrin.

The Civil Air Patrol was unable to send out search planes late yesterday because of low clouds and drizzle that blanketed the section.

However about 25 CAP planes and about half a dozen from Magnolia were ready to take off at sunrise today.

The CAP said it would concentrate its search on a belt 100 in 150 miles wide between here and Perrin AFB.

The Magnolia pilots said they planned to continue the search into Oklahoma.

The passengers on the plane, used by Magnolia for business purposes, were:

D. D Standlee, 42, assistant to the manager and assistant secretary of the Magnolia Pipeline Co.

A. B. Franzen, 45, chief accountant of the producing division of Magnolia Petroleum Co.

Folger B. Vallette, 35, oil purchasing department of Magnolia Petroleum

Clarence A. Easton Jr., 32, assistant chief dispatcher for Magnolia Pipeline.

Abilene Reporter-News, December 12, 1953

Plane Crash Victims Found Near Sherman

Sherman, Dec. 12 --Two searching farmers found the torn bodies of five Dallas men scattered in the wreckage of their company plane along a muddy creek bank six miles from here today.

The men, Magnolia Petroleum Co. employees, crashed in a driving rainstorm yesterday on a flight to Tulsa.

One of the men who found the plane heard the crash but did not realize it.

A woman was close enough to see wreckage flying into the air but her husband persuaded her the heavy rain and her imagination had tricked her.

Neither made a thorough search or reported to authorities until today because of the rain and muddy roads.

Seventy-seven planes--50 put into the air by the Civil Air Patrol and 27 by Magnolia--swept the area but apparently did not spot the wreck because the plane crashed among trees.

The victims were:

William H. Thompson, 33, the pilot; D. D Standlee, 42, assistant to the manager and assistant secretary of the Magnolia Pipeline Co.; A. B. Franzen, 45, chief accountant of the producing division of Magnolia Petroleum Co.; Folger B. Vallette, 35, oil purchasing department of Magnolia Petroleum; Clarence A. Easton Jr., 32, assistant chief dispatcher for Magnolia Pipeline.

The wreck was discovered by Clinton and J. D. McAfee. Clinton McAfee, 46, had heard the noise of the crash but dismissed it as the sound of a passing Air Force jet. He and his brother decided to make the search after hearing of the plane's disappearance on a news broadcast last night.

Ray Atteberry of the Sherman Democrat said the wreckage was scattered over a 65-foot area.

Mrs. J. P. Fletcher said she believed she was within half a mile of the plane when it crashed and saw wreckage flying into the air--but her husband persuaded her she was "just seeing things" in the blinding rain.

She went back to the spot today and found "the most horrible wreck I ever saw."

Clinton McAfee said:

"I was sitting in the living room Friday morning about 10 a. m. when I heard an airplane motor which quit running. Then came a loud crash. I figured it was just one of those jets from the base (Perrin Air Force Base) and didn't think much about it...on the 6:45 radio newscast last night I heard a plane was missing in this area.

"This morning about 9 a. m. my brother and I started searching for the plane. We saw planes flying over, but they probably didn't see the wreckage because we had a hard time seeing it ourselves."

Denton Record-Chronicle, December 13, 1953

Dallas Services Held For Arnold Franzen, Plane Crash Victim

Funeral services for Arnold B. Franzen, 45, of Collegeport and Dallas, were held Monday from the Preston Hollow Presbyterian Church at Dallas.

Mr. Franzen, chief accountant of the producing division of Magnolia Petroleum Company, was killed near Sherman Friday when a company plane in which he was a passenger crashed.

Officiating was the Rev. Robert P. Douglass and burial was in Restland Memorial Park in Dallas.

An elder in the Preston Hollow Presbyterian Church and active in civic affairs in Dallas, Mr. Franzen grew up in Matagorda County. He attended high school at high school at Bay City and later worked his way through Rice Institute.

He previously had been employed by the Texas Company and Harrison Oil Company before joining Magnolia.

He is survived by his wife; two daughters, Mary Ann Franzen and Carole Franzen, both of Dallas; his mother, Mrs. Gust Franzen of Collegeport; three sisters, Mrs. Dean Merck and Mrs. Gerald Wells, both of Collegeport, and Mrs. B. Bryan of New Iberia, Louisiana.

Four brothers, G. A. Franzen and Alex Franzen, both of Collegeport; James Franzen of Edna and Clifford Franzen of Buffalo.

Daily Tribune, December 17, 1955

Mildred Moorman Franzen Russell
December 12, 1911 - June 4, 1989
Buried Restland Memorial Park, Dallas, Dallas County, Texas

 

Marianne Franzen Funk
May 1, 1945 – April 30, 2024
 

Marianne Funk of Houston, Texas passed away Tuesday, April 30, 2024. She is preceded in death by her parents, Arnold and Mildred Franzen, sister, Carole Franzen, and husband, Bill Funk. She decided to donate her body to Science. When the research is complete, she will be laid to rest at Restland Cemetery with her parents.

 

Houston Chronicle, May 4, 2024.
 


Carl O. Franzen
1918 - 1921
Collegeport Cemetery, Collegeport, Matagorda County, Texas

 



Clifford A. Franzen

 

Graveside services for Clifford A. Franzen, 87, of Collegeport, are scheduled for 4 p.m. Friday at Collegeport Cemetery with the Rev. Sam Steele officiating.

 

Mr. Franzen died at Memorial Hospital in Port Lavaca Tuesday following a sudden illness. He was born Dec. 23, 1910 to Gust A. and Ellen B. Franzen at their home in Collegeport.

 

He graduated from Rice Institute in 1932 with a bachelor of arts degree. After graduation, he was employed by the Texas Company, now Texaco, where he worked for several years in Columbia , South America.
 

Following Army service in the Pacific Campaign during World War II, he returned to Collegeport and farmed rice for several years. He bought a ranch near Buffalo , Tex. , in the early 1950s and began raising goats and cattle, assisted by his beloved border collie. He moved to Lone Oak, Texas., where he also ranched in the 1970s.

 

In 1989, he moved to Palacios and lived at the Palacios Health Care Center. There, he became actively involved assisting residents, personnel and all who could benefit from his kind way. He was a longtime exercise leader and assisted in chapel services at the home.

He was responsible for inspiring change and improvements through his involvement at the center. He convinced an administrator that a vegetable garden was necessary and began gardening on the grounds. His produce often found its way to the center's kitchen. The "fruits of his labor" were shared with all. His garden was therapeutic for him as well as other residents who assisted.

 

Clifford was truly an inspiration to all who knew him.

 

He was preceded in death by his parents; brothers, Carl Franzen,  Arnold Franzen and Gustave Franzen; and sister, Ellen Bryan. He is survived by his sisters, Dorothy Merck and Mamie Wells, both of Collegeport; brothers, Alex Franzen of Collegeport, and James Franzen and wife, Ann, of Pearl River , La. ; sister-in-law, Ida Mae Franzen of Collegeport; and several nephew, nieces and friends.

 

Arrangements are under the direction of Taylor Brothers Funeral Home in Bay City .  The Daily Tribune, September 18, 1997

Clifford at his parents home in Collegeport
Clifford in the Army

Clifford's 1930 Rice University Photo
Grave at Collegeport Cemetery



 


 



Mamie Wells

Mamie Wells, 86, of Collegeport, died March 1, 2000 at The Legacy. She was born June 29, 1913 in Collegeport to the late Gustav Albert and Ellen Agusta Bladlund Franzen.

She was a member of the First Presbyterian Church of Collegeport and a lifelong resident of Collegeport.

Survivors include: two daughters-in-law, Mary Louise Tannner of Waco, and Lynda and Buddy Lenz of Collegeport; son and daughter-in-law, Gerald and Bettye Wells of Alleyton, Texas;. sister, Dorothy Merck of Collegeport; brothers, Alex Franzen of Collegeport, James Franzen and wife Ann of Pear River, La.; sister-in-law, Ida Mae Franzen of Collegeport; grandchildren, Steve and Debbie Fitzpatrick, Alan Fritzpatrick, Meloni and J. B. Cason, Traylor and Gena Lenz and Garrett Lenz; great-grandchildren, Alan, Eric, Erin and Katie Fitzpatrick, Jason Fitzpatrick and Cooper Cason; and numerous nieces and nephews. Mrs. Wells was preceded in death by: her husband Gerald F. "Jerry" Wells, Sr.; brothers, Arnold, Clifford, Gus, and Carl Franzen; and sister Ellen Franzen Bryan.

Funeral services will be 11 a.m. Friday, March 3, 2000 at Taylor Bros. Funeral Home Chapel with the Rev's Andy and Jannel Blair and Dave Gallaher officiating. Interment will follow at Hawley Cemetery.

Memorials may be made to the First Presbyterian Church of Collegeport.

Pallbearers will be Steve and Alan Fitzpatrick, Traylor and Garrett Lenz, J. B. Cason and G. W. Franzen. Honorary pallbearers will be Session Members of Collegeport First Presbyterian Church.

Arrangements are with Taylor Bros. Funeral Home.

The Daily Tribune, Thursday, 02 Mar 2000

 

Gerald Franklin Wells

 

Mr. Gerald Franklin Wells, 67, of Collegeport, died at Matagorda General Hospital on October 13. He was a member of the First Presbyterian Church of Collegeport and a resident of Collegeport for 47 years. He was an active member of his church serving as Elder and Superintendent of Sunday School and Sunday School Teacher. Mr. Wells was a rice farmer and cattleman in Collegeport until his illness forced him to retire 5 years ago. Survivors include: wife, Mamie Franzen Wells of Collegeport; two daughters, Mrs. Mary Louise Dowdle of Waco and Mrs. Lynda Lenz of Collegeport; son, Gerald F. Wells, Jr. of Palacios; sister, Mrs. Roy Lyons of Virginia, Illinois; one brother, Ira Wells of Arnzville, Illinois; five grandchildren, Stephen and Alan Fitzpatrick, Meloni Wells, Traylor and Garrett Lenz. The funeral was held at Taylor Brothers Chapel on Monday, October 15, at 3:00 p. m. The Rev. Lloyd Nixon officiated and interment was held at Hawley Cemetery in Blessing. Pallbearers include: Dean F. Merck, G. W. Franzen, Derril Franzen, Wesley Franzen, Mason Holsworth and Russell Corporon. Arrangements under the direction of Taylor Brothers Funeral Home.

 

The Daily Tribune, August, 1979
 


Gustave A. "Goose" Franzen

 

Gustave A. "Goose" Franzen, 80, of Collegeport, died at his home May 10, 1997.

 

Goose was born in Collegeport on March 21, 1917 to Gust A. and Ellen B. Franzen. His family moved to Collegeport in 1909 from Essex , Iowa during the land excursion that settled the Collegeport area. Both of his parents were of Swedish descent and were proud to make Texas their home. On Nov. 22, 1952 , Goose married Ida Mae Wilson of Deutschburg and they made their home with his mother until their house was complete in December of 1953. Goose, a lifelong resident of Collegeport, and a longtime rancher and rice farmer in the area, received the Palacios Chamber of Commerce "Rancher of the Year Award" in 1984, and the Bay City Chamber of Commerce "Rice Farmer of the Year Award" in 1991. In 1989 he and Ida Mae were named "Outstanding Man and Woman of the Year" by the Woman's Club of Collegeport in appreciation of many years of dedicated service to the community. He was a member and elder of the First Presbyterian Church of Collegeport, a charter member of the Collegeport Area Volunteer Fire Department, and a member of the Collegeport Cemetery Association. He devoted 21 consecutive years of service as a member of the Matagorda County Hospital District Board of Managers, and served nine years as a Palacios Independent School District trustee. He was an avid supporter of area youth in 4-H, FFA, and FHA programs, and the Matagorda County Fair Association. Goose derived much satisfaction in visiting area shut-ins, and proudly promoted the local rice industry. He enjoyed the pleasure of hunting deer, and work associated with his occupation.

 

Survivors include his wife of 44 years, Ida Mae Franzen of Collegeport; daughter and son-in-law Terri and Cody Adams of Deutschburg; Sons and Daughters-in-law Derril and Samantha Franzen, Wesley and Denise Franzen and G. W. Franzen, all of Collegeport; six grandchildren Tyler and Colt Adams of Deutschburg, Stephanie and Savannah Franzen, Dillon and Hayley Franzen all of Collegeport; sisters Dorothy Merck and Mamie Wells, both of Collegeport; Brothers Clifford Franzen of Palacios, Alex Franzen of Collegeport and James Franzen of Pearl River, La., and a host of other relatives and friends. He was preceded in death by his parents, two infant sons Gustave A. Franzen III and Charles Ray Franzen; two brothers Carl Franzen and Arnold Franzen; and one sister Ellen Bryan.

 

Funeral Services will be 2 p.m. Tuesday, May 13, 1997 at the First United Methodist Church in Bay City with Pastor Dave Gallaher officiating. Interment will be at Collegeport Cemetery .

 

Pallbearers will be his nephews Dean F. Merck, Gerald Wells, Jr., Jim Boeker, Billy Bob Bryan, Mark Merck, Robert Franzen, Thomas Franzen and Garrett Lenz. Honorary pallbearers are his other nephews.

 

Memorials may be made to the First Presbyterian Church of Collegeport, the Mopac House Foundation, or the Collegeport Cemetery Association.

 

Arrangements with Taylor Brothers Funeral Home.

 

The Daily Tribune, May 13, 1997

 

Ida Mae Wilson Franzen 
(March 14, 1922 - February 11, 2018)
 

Ida Mae Margaret (Wilson) Franzen was born to Swedish parents Carl Herman and Ida Matilda (Peterson) Wilson on March 14, 1922, near Kenedy, Texas, and passed away peacefully in her home near Collegeport on February 11, 2018. She was the third of four children of this share-cropping family. Moving and working various farms, the family made their home in the Jackson County community of Deutschburg in 1932. Ida Mae attended grade schools in the Francitas, Deutschburg, and Carancahua communities, where she and her sister, Hazel often performed in school programs—both of them had beautiful voices and enjoyed singing. Ida Mae was confirmed in the First Lutheran Church of El Campo, Texas, and was a 1939 graduate of Palacios High School.
 

Her college career began at Texas Lutheran College, where she was a member of the TLC Choir. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education Degree from the University of Texas, and her Master of Education degree at the University of Houston. Ida Mae taught in Houston, Texas City, Blessing and Palacios elementary schools. She drove the Deutschburg school bus route while teaching in Palacios.
 

Ida Mae Wilson and Gustave Albert “Goose” Franzen were married on November 22, 1952. Ida Mae enjoyed teaching, but chose instead her role as helpmate and mother. The newlyweds lived with Goose’s mother, Ellen, and brother, Alex, in the family home near Collegeport for a year, while they designed and built their home nearby, where they raised their four children. Ida Mae’s brother, Charles, was stricken with Bulbar Poliomyelitis on June 19, 1952. This occurrence significantly changed the lives of all of the Wilson Family, who sought the best treatment for Charles. “Goose” and Ida Mae accompanied Charles to Denver, CO for Chiropractic treatment at the Spears Chiropractic Sanitarium and Hospital. The trip was made on a Pullman Car, specially equipped with an iron lung, loaned by Fred Snite, Jr. a wealthy Chicagoan who became a polio victim seventeen years earlier. Burlington Lines’ Texas Zephyr pulled the car to its destination in Denver. Hazel, Ida Mae’s sister, was called to testify before a Senate Committee in Washington DC regarding the need for medical insurance coverage for patients benefitting from chiropractic treatment. Those at home modified the house to accommodate the iron lung for Charles’ return home. The family provided care at home until his death in 1959. Meanwhile, Goose and Ida Mae worked their rice farming and beef cattle operation at Collegeport and Deutschburg, maintaining generations-long tenant relationships of the Wilson and Franzen families, while acquiring their own farm and ranch land. One of Ida Mae’s passions in life was cooking. The kitchen was the center of the Franzen home, where her talents for cooking, bread-making, baking, canning, pickling, processing and preparing nutritious family meals were shared with her family and any guest at their table. Ida Mae joined The First Presbyterian Church of Collegeport and was an active member, leading Presbyterian Women’s groups, Sunday School classes for youth and adults, and youth singing. Once asked if she had a favorite hymn, without hesitation, Ida Mae replied, “I like them all.” She was elected and ordained an Elder on December 5, 1982, and served as Clerk of Session for a number of years. The church presented Ida Mae a plaque “In Appreciation of Many Years of Devoted Service” for her years on the Session on November 17, 2002, but she was re-elected to serve at least one more term as a Ruling Elder.
 

Ida Mae was also active in the Woman’s Club of Collegeport, sponsor of the annual Collegeport Day homecoming the last Saturday in May. The celebration has been held each year since 1909. Gus and Ida Mae Franzen were recognized as the Collegeport Man and Woman of the Year for “Many Years of Dedicated Service to the Collegeport Community” by the Woman’s Club on Collegeport Day in 1989.
 

Ida Mae supported the youth of the community as an organizer and adult leader of the Collegeport 4-H Club in 1968, assisting youth with various projects including Livestock, Food, Sewing, Public Speaking, and Record Books, and as an auction buyer and supporter in the Junior Livestock Show and Heifer Show, beginning in 1967. She also supported youth in the Home Economics Division as an auction buyer, sponsor and presenter of awards for High-Point Winners. She also participated in the Adult Division of the Food Show. She has been recognized by several youth organizations including the 4-H, Future Farmers of America and Future Homemakers of America for her involvement. In 2015, Ida Mae was presented a “Lifetime Achievement Award” for her support of the youth of Matagorda County by the Matagorda County Fair Association.
 

As rice producers, both Gus and Ida Mae encouraged others to “Eat More Rice.” If potatoes were served at a meal, “Goose” would not hesitate to assert, “You should serve RICE! We don’t live in Idaho!” Ida Mae, more subtly promoted the use of rice through her 30+ years of participation in the Rice Dish Round-up at the Matagorda County Rice Festival by entering recipes adapted to include rice as a main ingredient.
 

Ida Mae was named Outstanding Conservation Homemaker at the Region III Texas Conservation Awards Program in 1983. She was sponsored by the Matagorda County Soil and Water Conservation District #316. For a number of years, she gauged and recorded rainfall for the Natural Resources Conservation Service in the Collegeport area. These records along with others from across the county were beneficial in helping local farmers and ranchers prove eligibility for Federal Disaster Programs through the Farm Services Agency. Ida Mae Franzen was a Life Member and past director of the Matagorda County 100-Club, an active member of the Carancahua Extension Education Association Club, and the Athena Club of Palacios; She was a past participant in the Matagorda County “Relay for Life”, supporting the American Cancer Society.
 

Ida Mae was a devoted wife, a wonderful mother and grandmother, and a tireless worker in her church and community. Upon the death of her husband, Gus Franzen, in 1997, Ida Mae continued in their rice farming and cattle operation, assisted by her family, and remained an avid supporter of the youth of Matagorda County. Many youths in the county benefitted from her generosity and kindness. Ida Mae was preceded in death by her husband and two infant sons, Gustave Albert Franzen III and Charles Ray Franzen; her parents, two brothers, Wilford Leroy and Charles Herman Wilson, and by her sister, Hazel Viola (Wilson) Boeker. She is survived by her four children: G. W., Derril (Samantha), Terri (Franzen) Adams, Wesley (Tonya Piwonka); grandchildren: Stephanie Busby (Brian), Savannah Moeller (Jeff), Tyler Adams (Kelsey), Colt Adams (Madeleine), Dillon Franzen (Angela) and Hayley Franzen; great-grandchildren: Reese, Carter, Jake, Tate, Weston, Tanner, Addison, and a great-granddaughter and two more great-grandsons expected in 2018; sister-in-law, Ann Franzen, and a host of nieces, nephews, and friends.
 

Visitation will be held at Taylor Brothers Funeral Home in Bay City on Wednesday, February 14 from 5:00 PM to7:00 PM. A private graveside service will be conducted at the Collegeport Cemetery. Ida Mae’s sons and grandsons will serve as pall bearers; her nieces and nephews, church family, friends and neighbors are regarded as honorary bearers.
 

A Celebration of Life and Witness to the Resurrection Service will be 11:00 AM Thursday, February 15, 2018 at the First Presbyterian Church of Palacios with Rev. Chuck Kimball officiating. A reception will follow at Clement Hall.
 

Memorials may be made to the First Presbyterian Church of Collegeport, Mopac House Foundation, or Collegeport Cemetery Association; All may be directed to P. O. Box 175, Collegeport, Texas 77428.
 

Ida Mae’s family appreciates the compassionate care she received at home through “At Your Side” Home Care.
 

Taylor Bros. Funeral Home

 

 

Mamie Franzen Wells, Ida Mae & Gustave "Goose" Franzen leaving for trip to Sweden in 1985.

 

Ida Mae Wilson Franzen taught school before she married in 1952. Schools where she taught included:
 

 

Ellen Franzen Bryan
July 28, 1921 - August 25, 1991
Buried Lone Oak Cemetery, Lone Oak, Hunt County, Texas

 

 

Billy Bob Bryan
July 19, 1921 - July 26, 1996
Buried Lone Oak Cemetery, Lone Oak, Hunt County, Texas

 

 

 

Bobby & Billy Bob
Margaret & Ellen



 



Alexander "Alex" Franzen
 

Graveside funeral services for Alexander "Alex" Franzen, 79, of Collegeport, Tx. were held Aug. 11, 2002 at Collegeport Cemetery with Rev. Janell Blair officiating.

Mr. Franzen was born May 14, 1923 in the family home at Collegeport to Gustave Albert and Ellen Carlson (Bladlund) Franzen. He died Aug. 9, 2002 at Palacios Healthcare Center.

Mr. Franzen attended grade school at Collegeport and high school at Blessing High School. He was a member and elder of First Presbyterian Church of Collegeport and assisted in the construction of the present sanctuary.

He lived in the family home his entire life and worked with his brother, "Goose" Franzen on the farm. He ran a herd of cattle until his retirement. One of the highlights of his later life was the opportunity to work cattle with his nephews.

He is survived by his brother and sister-in-law, James and Ann Franzen of Pearl River, La.; his sister-in-law, Ida Mae Franzen of Collegeport; many nieces and nephews; and a host of "grandchildren".

He was preceded in death by his parents; brothers Carl, Arnold, Gustave, and Clifford Franzen; and sisters Ellen Bryan, Mamie Wells and Dorothy Merck.

Pallbearers were his nephews G. W. Franzen, Derril Franzen, Wesley Franzen, Thomas Franzen, Traylor Lenz and Garrett Lenz.

Arrangements were with Palacios Funeral Home.

The Palacios Beacon, August 14, 2002

 


 


 


James Franzen
September 20, 1925 - January 1, 2016
 

James C. Franzen “Tequila”, of Pearl River Louisiana passed away on Friday, January 1, 2016, at Ochsner Medical Center, North Shore.

He was the beloved husband of, Anna May Byrne Franzen.
 

Father of: Babette Melies (Scott); Kenneth Smith (Terri); Robert Franzen; and Thomas Franzen.
 

He was one of five brothers and three sisters.
 

He is also survived by seven grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.
 

James was 90 years old and a native of Collegeport, Texas. He retired from Shell Oil Company, then worked in the antique furniture business with the love of his life, Ann. His greatest passion was spending time with his family, friends and mowing his grass.
 

A memorial service will be held at First Baptist Church in Pearl River, Louisiana on Thursday, January 7, 2016. Visitation starts at 11 am followed by service at noon. Officiated by Brother Alvin Waller.
 

Honaker Funeral Home, Slidell, Louisiana

 

Ann Byrne Franzen
April 8, 1933 - January 19, 2024
 

Ann Byrne Franzen, 90, of Pearl River, Louisiana, passed away on Friday, January 19, 2024, in Slidell, Louisiana.
 

Ann was born April 8, 1933, in New Orleans, Louisiana, to Edwin and Clara Byrne.


In 1958 she married James Franzen.  In 1977 the couple moved to Pearl River.


She was preceded in death by her husband, James Franzen; and three sisters, Dorothy Casper, Joyce Gauthier, and Gloria Brown and one granddaughter Meghan Franzen.


She is survived by four children, Kenneth Harold Smith (Terri), Robert James Franzen (Karen), Thomas James Franzen (the late Christine Franzen); one daughter, Babette F. Melies; sister, Gladys Spencer; five grandchildren Ashley, Brandon, Caleb, Melissa and Jeremy; numerous greatgrandchildren, nieces, nephews and other relatives.
 

Ann and her beloved husband Tequila (James) shared an Antique business (Ann’s Place) enjoying many buying trips, meeting new people and customers.  Ann was always the life of the party, she had a great sense of humor and enjoyed making people laugh. She also had a great love of cats and had many through the years. Her loving and giving nature will be remembered by family and friends. She will be forever missed and eternally loved.


We would like to thank the nurses and staff at Heritage Manor for their compassion and excellent care during the time she spent there.


Graveside Services will be held on Thursday, January 25, 2024, at Forest Lawn Cemetery, 1751 Gause Blvd West, Slidell Louisiana, at 1:00pm.  


Honaker Funeral Home

 

Ann and James Franzen at Collegeport Day
Photo courtesy of the personal collection of Chester & Margaret Corporon


 


Franzen Reunion Held in Collegeport

The descendents of Mr. and Mrs. Gus Franzen who arrived in Collegeport December 24, 1909 and who spent the first night in Hotel Collegeport with their small children, Dorothy and Arnold, held a family reunion Sunday in the Sadie Merck Room (named after Sadie Merck and Ellen Franzen), Presbyterian Hall in Collegeport.

The family attended the Worship Service conducted by the Rev. Lloyd Nixon and invited the Rev. and Mrs. Nixon to join them for the noon meal. Many pictures were taken in the Sadie Ellen Room during the noon-time .Following the dinner the family gathered in the sanctuary where family group pictures were taken and they spent some time recalling events of former years.

Dorothy Merck recalled that her Dad had warned her that if he caught her with another snake that he would whip her with it. She related that just recently she saw a snake in their front yard, thinking it was dead, picked it up by the tail and was startled when she saw it was alive - threw it further than a snake she had handled in her youth - it landed in the middle of the highway--she said she thought of Papa all day long.

The following were present:
Clifford Franzen - Lone Oak, Texas
Billy and Emma Franzen Bryan, also of Lone Oak and their son and family Billy Bob, Susan, Clayton Bob and Blake Bryan
James and Ann Franzen of Pearl River, La. and daughter and family, Scott, Babette and Ashley Melies
Mamie Wells and her daughters and families - Bill and Mary Louise Tanner of Waco and her children Steve and Debbie Fitzpatrick and Alan and Kathy Fitzpatrick and sons Alan and Eric
Lynda and Buddy Lenz and sons Traylor and Garrett
Gus and Ida Mae Franzen and family, G. W., Derril, Samantha and Stephanie, Terri, Wesley and Denise Junek
Alex Franzen
Dean and Dorothy Franzen Merck
Mildred Franzen Russell and daughters Marianne and husband Bill Funk
Bobby Modewell (Clifford Franzen's friend from Lone Oak)

Palacios Beacon, June 6, 1985
 


 

Copyright 2007 - Present by the Franzen Family
All rights reserved

Created
May 28, 2007
Updated
March 6, 2020
   

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