LAVERNE RAY FRANK
Dec. 9, 1938—May 10, 2025
Laverne “Vern/Vernie” Ray Frank, age 86, of Newcastle, Wyoming, went to be with his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, on Saturday, May 10, 2025.
Vernie was born on Dec. 9, 1938, to Bernhard (Ben) and Genevieve (Johnson) Frank in Belle Fourche, South Dakota. When he was a young child, the family relocated to Ideal, South Dakota. Vernie attended Winner High School, where he was active in football and track. He graduated in 1956. Despite his parent’s wishes, he joined the Navy at the age of 17 where he was promoted to Petty Officer First Class and enjoyed being a torpedo man. Vern was a true patriot. He loved this country, and until it was absolutely necessary for health reasons, he refused to get any help from the VA. He always said, “Those young vets coming home need it worse than me.”
While on leave he began dating and later married one of his lifelong friends, Vesta Bice. The couple began their lives together in the Winner area, where Vern began his farming career.
Vern and Vesta spent 65 years together and were blessed with twelve children.
In 1979, the couple moved to Custer, South Dakota where Vernie worked as a carpenter and a logger. Later on, he attended the School of Mines in Rapid City, South Dakota, where he obtained a degree in geology. This sparked a lifelong love of rocks! He enjoyed sharing this passion with many of his grandchildren. Vern loved our Lord, Jesus, and he strongly demonstrated and shared this love with each of his children through Bible study and nightly devotions. He was active on the board of the Berean Bible Church in Custer, as well as taught Sunday School in the Wesleyan church.
In 1998, the empty nesters moved to Newcastle. Vern used his love of rocks to begin making beautiful jewelry and key chains. He perfected this process over the years and his children, grandchildren and wife benefited the most from
this endeavor.
Throughout his life Vern loved hunting, fishing, reloading, making wine, gardening, and watching his boys wrestle. He loved playing most any type of game, especially card games with Vesta, his parents, brothers and sisters — there was a lot of yelling and laughter! As his children grew, this love of games was passed on along with the yelling and laughter! Later on, Vern would comment on how his most cherished time was watching his own kids, grand kids and great-grand kids enjoying time together laughing and having fun. Vern loved watching professional football and very much enjoyed the family rivalry that came along with it! Although he was a Minnesota Vikings fan for years, he became a Steelers fan in the 1980s. He passed his love of that team on to only a few of his children. Football season was always full of phone calls and taunts. In his defense, his Steelers came out on top more often than not.
Before Vernie’s passing, he mentioned his years farming a lot. Although many years had passed, he still missed the old homestead place he had purchased from his parents. He loved watching things grow and just plain loved the country and simpler things. It was in this latter part of life that Vern was given his first Welsh Corgi, Wishbone. A year or so later, he brought home Gracie. He loved watching his dogs play, and spoiled them rotten.
Laverne is survived in his immediate family by his wife, Vesta; children, Vicki Frank of Idaho, Jeff (RaeJean) Frank of Idaho, Lori (Greg) Kaiser, South Dakota, Lisa Oakley, Wyoming, Vanesa (Darrell) Stevens, South Dakota, Dawn Boggs, South Dakota, Bobbi (Russell) Williams, South Dakota, Tammy (Troy) Allen, Wyoming, Stacy Haggerty (Mike Yuronich), Wyoming, Justen (Missy) Frank, South Dakota; along with 30 grandchildren, 50-plus great-grandchildren, four great-great-grandchildren and counting!
He is also survived by his sisters, Shirley Boyd, Jenny Lou Stern; four brothers-in-law, a sister-in-law, and numerous nieces and nephews.
Vernie is preceded in death by his parents; brothers, Burt and Merle (Punk) Frank; sons, Jody and Jesse Frank; daughter-in-law, Stacey Ann Frank; sons-in-law Matthew Himrich and Joe Haggerty; grandson-in-law, Sean Barnhart; and grandson,
Lucas Kaiser.
Services for Laverne will be held on Monday, May 19, beginning at 1 p.m. at Kinkade Funeral Chapel. There will be a visitation one hour prior to the service. Laverne will be interred at Black Hills National Cemetery at 2:30 p.m., following the service. The family will
be gathering at the Sturgis Vet’s Club afterward for refreshments.
Condolences for the family may be sent to kinkadefunerals.com as
well as 533 S. Summit Avenue, Newcastle, WY 82701.