Wayne Fronk

Wayne Vernon Fronk was born June 28, 1917, at Spirit Lake, Iowa to Earl and Marjorie (Nelson) Fronk. He attended school in Spirit Lake until sixth grade and then graduated from Woonsocket, South Dakota High School. While in high school, he played lots of basketball and football. Wayne worked for the A & P Grocery in Denison and was a guide for the Nelson Boat Livery as well as a foreman with the State Conservation Commission for eight years. He served in World War II from 1940 to 1944 as a machine gunner and sniper in Australia, New Guinea and the Dutch West Indies. After his tour of duty, Wayne returned to Spirit Lake and married Marian Figg on June 20, 1947 in Worthington, Minnesota. He had a plumbing shop in Spirit Lake and later moved to Seattle, Washington and then San Diego, California where he lived for 33 years. While in San Diego, Wayne was the purchasing agent for Scripts Clinic for 10 years and with a car dealership for 4 years. Wayne returned to Spirit Lake in April of 1997 after the death of his wife, Marian. He enjoyed spending his summer on the south shore of Big Spirit working in his yard and watching the Martins flying around his Martin Houses. As his health declined, Wayne moved to Wel-Life Assisted Living in 2005 where he made many new friends. Wayne passed away on July 9, 2011 at the Good Samaritan Home in Estherville, Iowa eleven days after celebrating his ninety-fourth birthday. Left to cherish his memory is his son, Alan, of Spirit Lake, Iowa. He was preceded in death by his wife, Marian; his parents; sister and brother-in-law, Maxine and Bob Thomsen; and half brother, Tom Jensen.