Wilhelm Ernst Frings

COLUMBIA Wilhelm Ernst Frings passed away at his home on April 2, 2016, at 1:45 a.m. at the age of 89.

Wilhelm is survived by his loving wife of 38 years, Florence Frings. They were married in Columbia in 1978. Wilhelm is lovingly remembered by his children, Verena Wilkin and her husband, Jeff of Canton, Ga, Eveline Frings of Munzenberg, Germany, and Johnny Frings and his wife, Carolyn of Roswell, Ga.; his granddaughters, Mira Frings of Frankfurt, Germany and Laura Frings of Athens, Ga.

Born August 5, 1926 in Sostanj, in the former republic of Yugoslavia, he was the son of the late Wilhelm and Anna Faninger Frings. He graduated high school in Yugoslavia in 1943 after which he became a fighter pilot in the German Luftwaffe. He was a prisoner of war for nine months at the end of WWII and was discharged to Graz, Austria. There he went on to earn a Chemical Engineering degree from the Technische Hochschule of Graz, Austria (Technical University of Graz). He married his high school sweetheart and they emigrated to the U.S. with two children in 1955. A third child was born in the U.S. With the help of a family friend they bought land in Lugoff, S.C. and he became a gentleman farmer while working at Cardinal Chemical Company in Columbia for 13 years. While at Cardinal, he met Dr. Jim Hardwicke and the two of them formed Hardwicke Chemical Company which they operated with great success for 20 years prior to selling the business.

In 1978, Wilhelm’s wife discharged him for unknown reasons and he married Florence Humphries of Columbia. Retiring in 1988, Wilhelm wished to convert doing nothing into a creative enterprise. He and Florence travelled the world extensively and enjoyed hosting family and friends in their home, where they loved to garden, work together and lounge by the pool. He also enjoyed a long membership with the Columbia Golden K Chapter of the Kiwanis Club.

Florence wants to thank his caregivers, Jeannette Williams, Linda and Nate Jackson and Tri-State Hospice for their compassionate and professional care.

The service of remembrance will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Monday, April 11, 2016, at North Trenholm Baptist Church, 6515 N. Trenholm Road, with Dr. Steve Cloud and the Reverend Joe Copeland presiding. The family will receive friends at the church one hour prior to the service. Dunbar Funeral Home, Devine Street Chapel, is assisting the family.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to St. Joseph’s Indian School, P.O. Box 100, Chamberlain, SD. 57325-0100, 1-800-584-9200, www.stjo.org/plannedgiving.