EDITH AND RICHARD FRANZEN

1930 - 2018

Edith Eskola Franzén  Richard Sheaff Franzén  
Edith Eskola Franzén was born on February 13, 1930 near Bruce Crossing, MI., the daughter of Finnish immigrants, August and Liisa Kalijarvi Eskola. She grew up with seven siblings, all of whom predeceased her.Richard Sheaff Franzén was born on May 31, 1928 in Bloomington, IN., the son of Carl Gustave Frederick Franzén and Florence Josephine Buker Franzén. His two brothers, Heydon and Charles, both predeceased him.Dick was a congressional aide and then a director of public affairs for the Office of Economic Opportunity and the National Bureau of Standards. Edie had a long career in catering and with the Senate's Office of Technology Assessment.They were active in civil rights issues for many years and also strenuously opposed America's involvement in the Vietnam war.Dick and Edie had three children, Charles of Westminster, MD; David of North Garden, VA; and Liisa of Charlottesville, VA. and seven grandchildren. They were opera enthusiasts and took tours to Europe as well as to Great Britain, Finland, Africa, Mexico and the Caribbean.Upon retirement, they moved to Michigan's Upper Peninsula, to their home on 80 acres in Ewen. They spent the winters in St. Michaels on Maryland's Eastern Shore and in 1997 were founding members of the St. Michaels Preservation Coalition. They passed away of different causes less than one day apart after being together for 65 years, Edie on September 15, 2018 and Dick on September 16, 2018. A memorial service is planned for summer in Upper Peninsula of Michigan