Mary Frances "Francie" Stringer, daughter of Roselle and Frank Protiva was born April 24, 1933, in Springfield, Missouri.  She passed away September 16, 2023, at the age of 90.

Francie grew up in Willow Springs, Missouri. She attended Willow Springs schools. She talked often of her good friends in school; Margie, Martha Jane, Doris, and Pat. They kept things hopping. She told stories about sneaking into the cloakroom and eating items out of other students' lunches, and when it was their turn to wash dishes in Home Ec. class they threw them onto the roof of the building next to the classroom, The bond between these friend lasted throughout her life, talking to Margie and Martha Jane on the phone and visiting them on a regular basis until the end of her life

During this period, Francie's father owned People's Drug Store on Main Street in Willow.  She worked the soda fountain there, making sodas, milkshakes, ice cream cones and sundaes. She often complained about how hard the ice cream was to scoop out of the large cartons in the freezer. She also spent a large amount of time at her Grandma Horak's farm next door to her house. Richard always said she was raised by Grandma Horak. She loved spending time there and often talked of helping Grandma tend the garden, canning fruits and vegetables, watching the butchering of hogs, and other farm activities. She also loved fishing in Pee Pee pond and that became a favorite activity for hers.

Francie married Richard "Tonk" Stringer (later "Doc") on December 15, 1950.  Francie was 17 at the time.  Her parents disapproved of the Stringer clan and did not want her to date, much less marry, so they would not give her permission. So they could marry, Richard's sister Betty and husband Joe Corn drove them to Hardy, Arkansas, where she was of legal age.  They married and returned to their respective homes and kept the marriage a secret.  A few weeks later, Richard was drafted and they broke the news to their families. Francie became a true Stringer. She and Richard hosted and attended many family reunions and spent countless evenings visiting family in Willow playing cards and chatting into the night as the kids played together

After Richard returned from the Korean war, they moved to Columbia, Missouri, where Richard attended veterinary school and Francie worked as a secretary.  They bought and repaired a partially burnt trailer house that became their home.  During this time, she gave birth to their two children: Frank Richard and Mary Lynette

After vet school they moved to Willow Springs for a short time and in 1961 to Cabool.  Francie became a housewife and helped Richard with the business of the vet practice, answering the phone and communicating to Richard on the two-way radio about calls he needed to make. She also enjoyed planting and maintaining a large garden. She was a Cub Scout den mother and helped Eileen Wilkins each week with activities for the troop. She also enjoyed making and delivering cupcakes to school for Frank and Mary Lynn's school classes on their birthdays. She became good friends with her next door neighbors Jack and Winnie Alpers. Winnie and she were in constant contact even after Winnie moved away.

In 1977, Francie and Richard built a home on the Piney River north of Cabool.  Here she established her farm wife bonafides.  She raised chickens, ducks, guineas, peacocks, had a large garden and helped Richard with the cows.  They also began to breed and raise horses, particularly Foxtrotters.  They had show horses and rode often. She attended trail rides at Eminence and traveled with friends and family to horse shows.

During her life, Francie had many interests and participated in social and community activities.  She loved playing games, especially rummy, bridge and Skip-Bo. She was very competitive and opponents had to pay attention in case she made a "misplay." She and Richard played cards with friends and family while the kids played together. She also played chess and taught her son Frank to play. She and some close friends formed a walking group and christened themselves the "Street Walkers." After a walk, and  on many other mornings, she joined her friend Wanda Noel for hours of coffee drinking and playing Skip-Bo games. She formed a group that made stained glass windows and took lessons from a local painter and produced hundreds of beautiful oil paintings. Francie was an avid reader, often reading for hours.  She loved mysteries, thrillers and true crime. She also loved watching movies and tv series.  Francie always had a garden and kept special seeds from her Kentucky cutshort green beans each year and raised and canned hundreds of quarts over the years.

Many townsfolk will remember her making wreath cinnamon rolls decorated with icing and maraschino cherries. She made around fifty of these "Tea Rings" each Christmas to give her good friends and family members to enjoy Christmas morning.

She and Richard took many trips over the years including the Netherlands, Alaska, and Mexico. In 2013 she took a trip up the Danube from Budapest to Vienna on a longboat with Margie Cooper, cousin Jean Sixby, Sue Hertzog and her son Frank.  The trip was a remarkable adventure during which she celebrated her 80th birthday.  She and her friends had so much fun and spent hours discovering new things and talking of the past.

Two people became special to her over the years.  Wanda Reed helped Francie clean house for 30 years.  They spent the morning cleaning, then went to Francie's weekly hair appointment at Barbara's, and lunched and shopped at Walmart. Wanda was a special friend to Francie. Also in the last few years, Kathy Petersen was hired to help around the house.  She helped Francie garden, cook, and perform household chores.  She became a special friend and companion and provided support Francie needed as she grew older.

Francie is preceded in death by her parents, Roselle and Frank.  She leaves behind her husband of 73 years, Richard 'Doc" Stringer, her children Frank Richard
Stringer and Mary Lynn Stringer, grandchildren Steven Glover, Cody Stringer, Miranda Eudaly, and great grandchildren Vaughan and Ophelia Stringer.

Francie's life was made richer and more enjoyable by so many friends and family too numerous to name. Her family remembers you fondly and thanks all of you.

Memorials:

In lieu of flowers, the family has requested donations to the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital