Francis Tibor

Funeral Mass for Francis Tibor, 82, of Hebron, ND, will be 11:00 a.m. Tuesday, November 11, 2025 at St. Ann's Catholic Church, Hebron, with Father Gary Benz Celebrating. Burial will follow at St. Ann's Cemetery, Hebron.

Visitation will take place from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Monday, November 10, 2025 at St. Ann's Catholic Church, Hebron, with a Rosary and Vigil Service taking place at 6:00 p.m.

Francis passed away Monday, November 3, 2025 at Sandford Medical Center, Sioux Falls, SD.

Francis Paul Tibor was born in Eugene, Oregon, on January 31, 1943, the son of Joseph and Margaret (Hecker) Tibor. He had nine brothers and four sisters, all named in alphabetical order.

The family moved back to North Dakota when Francis was a young boy. He attended school in Almont, Glen Ullin, and Hebron, and later earned his GED in Dickinson.

At the age of 10, Francis joined the family band. This was the beginning of a lifetime career in music, starting with The Rhythm Cowboys, who later became The Country Cousins, then The Mavericks, and finally The Tibor Brothers.

His specialty was vocals and drums. People loved listening to his deep bass voice - he gave Johnny Cash a run for his money.

He performed all over the country with his four brothers. The Tibor Brothers were inducted into The North Dakota Cowboy Hall of Fame in 2007.

On July 9, 1962, Francis married his forever girlfriend, Shirley Schmautz. Their marriage was blessed with four daughters. Francis not only played at various venues throughout the Midwest, they also hosted the The Mavericks TV Show for 10 years.

Later, he and his brothers built a recording studio in their father's blacksmith shop - the JoMar Studio in Hebron. There, they recorded their albums and produced music for other musicians in the area.

Francis also worked as an engineer for KDIX and KXMA TV.

He was a man who enjoyed staying busy. He worked as a custodian at Taylor Elementary and later bought and expanded the Brick City Motel and RV Park.

Francis had a very strong Catholic faith, and it was important to him to volunteer his time and talents. He taught Latin to the altar boys at St. Ann's and taught the Catholic Youth Organization for decades.

He served on the parish council, was sexton for 31 years, and recently passed that responsibility to his grandson, Jacob. He also facilitated the construction of the Grotto for St. Ann's cemetery, the renovation of the Cross, and raised funds for headstones for many unmarked children's graves.

Like his patron saint, St. Francis, he tended to the animals and birds in his backyard. One of his favorite daily rituals was checking all his bird and squirrel feeders and watching the wild turkeys come in to feed.

Francis was lovingly referred to as "Papa" by nearly everyone who knew him. Living up to his self-proclaimed title "The Idea Guy" he could make anything in his garage. He spent winters crafting bird feeders, miniatures, doll houses, and more.

He loved having family around him. Nothing made him happier than when everyone gathered at Papa and Shirley's.

We will miss everything about him - his sense of humor, his voice, his knowledge, the way he teased grandma Shirley (his girlfriend), his kindness, and his deep faith in God.

Francis is survived by his wife of 63 years, Shirley; four daughters, Shelley (Gary) Sailer, Stacey (Mike) Harrison, Wendy Krein (Mike), and Tracy Tibor; seven grandchildren: Lee Ann (Travis) Hoff, Alicia (Craig) Enderle, Samantha Sailer, Lindsay (Tyrell) Maloney, Jacob Krein, Sevrin (Nicole) Tibor, and Sydney Tibor; eight great-grandchildren: Britny, Landon, Connor, Brycen, Brayden, Maddox, Gracie, and Violet; one great-great-granddaughter, Aubrie; honorary daughter, Debbie (Tom Depsky) Schmautz; and a special friend, Wilbert Sailer, who shared coffee with him daily.

He is also survived by siblings Harvey (Sandi) Tibor, Irene (Bob) Mayer, Kurt (Doni) Tibor, Larry (Lee Ann) Tibor, and Marie (Steve) Sletten; and sisters-in-law Ardelle Tibor, Connie Tibor, and Lois Tibor.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Joseph and Margaret Tibor; and siblings Albert, Bernie, Charlie, Dorothy, Ernest, Gerard, Jerome, and Noreen.