On Thursday, January 12, 2023, Frank Irwin Davis, who was 74 years old, passed away at his residence in Bismarck, North Dakota. Having been born to Leslie and Lillian (Friezen) Davis, Frank was the eighth child of thirteen. He spent his childhood on the Davis family farm located in Nordmore township, which is located northeast of Carrington. In his younger years, Frank was already operating a tractor by the time he was seven years old. He also spent a lot of time assisting his father and siblings on the farm.
From birth until his death, he was a farmer who had a profound love for and reverence for the earth. In his younger years, Frank took pleasure in working at the Mobil Gas Station. He also worked for a number of local farmers and worked alongside his father on the family farm. In addition to assisting in the construction of Wallace and Emilee Miller’s first home, he also learned how to lay brick while working on the construction of the family home of Stub and Marie Gussiaas.
It wasn’t until he discovered Kathleen (Beaton) and fell in love with her that he realized he wanted to be a bachelor like his Uncle Frank. The wedding took place on June 8th, 1974. The couple had three daughters together and farmed a mile and a half away from where Frank had spent his childhood. He was the kind of father who took valuable time off from the field to go to parent-teacher conferences and concerts, and he made sure to tell his young children that he loved them each and every night as he turned off their lights.
There were a lot of things that they enjoyed doing as a young family, such as preserving food by canning and freezing it for the winter, making deer sausage, chopping and hauling wood together to heat the house with a wood burning stove, and a lot more. In addition to having the best sense of humor, he was patient, kind, and completely loved without conditions.
Frank was a steward of the land and guardian of his family. He was also a caregiver. During the spring, when the fields were being worked, he enjoyed the fragrance of newly turned earth, and he also enjoyed taking long, unhurried trips to town. His hands were soft, but they were also capable of fixing anything. They were weathered and scarred from years of working hard and playing in the mud. He had farmer’s hands. Following his retirement from farming, he worked as a forklift driver at Dakota Growers, where he established meaningful relationships with his coworkers and planted trees for the Foster County Soil Conservation District.
It was in 2016 when Frank and Kathleen made the decision to relocate to Bismarck in order to be closer to their kids and grandchildren. Prior to that, they had a successful farm life and worked hard together. Growing the most prolific gardens and canning the products of his labor, he continued to take care of the land even after he retired and began to enjoy his retirement years.
The first automobile that Frank ever purchased was a 1971 340 Duster, and he still owns it today. Frank was a fan of Mopar. He paid $3,500 in cash for it and placed his order at Carrington Motor Company, where they attempted to dissuade him from purchasing it and informed him that he would not make a good candidate for it. He drove to the sales ring in Jamestown when he was in his 20s and brought a calf home in the back seat of his pickup truck. At the time, he was practicing farming and did not yet own a pickup truck.
Rides in the Duster were a favorite activity for Kathleen, their daughters, and their grandchildren. In addition to his wife and children, it was his most valued property, and over the years, he declined numerous offers to purchase it at various times. (At this time, it is not available for purchase.)
Frank was not only a husband, father, and grandfather, but he was also a bricklayer, plumber, electrician, wood worker, mechanic, furnace repairman, gardener, hunter, poet, and an excellent cook. He was also a person who worked in the woods. He was often trying out new foods and grilling them.
His chicken noodle soup was the greatest I’ve ever had. In addition to his passion for tinkering, he was always up for a challenge and eager to work on finding a solution to construct or repair something. The phrase “Don’t worry, I welded it” was displayed on his bumper sticker for a considerable amount of time. One of the most memorable experiences of his life was when he traveled to Alaska with his grandson Isaiah in 2009 to pay a visit to his daughter Karen and her family. He had a long-standing desire to travel to Alaska, and this trip was one of the highlights of his life. His yellow pickup truck bore a bumper sticker that read “I drove the Alaska Highway and Survived” for more than a decade, and he exhibited it with great distinction.
Everywhere Frank went, he was able to quickly make friends since he always had a smile on his face, and people were drawn to him. When he made a promise, he kept it. It was important to him to maintain contact with his close friends from Carrington, and he had a deep affection for the morning coffee crew that worked at the Pony Express in Bismarck. Some of the people who loved him the most had the impression that he was the focal point of their entire world. When he came, the celebrations, the stories, and the laughter could begin; the atmosphere in the room felt like it had been finished.
Frank is survived by his wife of 48 years, Kathleen (Beaton) Davis of Bismarck; daughters, Casey Jo (Dakota) Goodhouse, Karen Stenehjem, and Roberta Davis; grandchildren, Christian, Isaiah and Elijah Goodhouse, and Sierra and Daniel Stenehjem; sisters, Connie Carr, Sharon (Merlin) Steele, Patsy Clapper, Leanna (Kim Schulz) Kollman, Lynnette (Wayne) Cook, Mary (Tim) Zink, and Julie (Jim) Sherman; sister-in-law, Veronica Davis; many nieces; nephews; and good friends.
His parents, brothers Don and Randy, and sisters Janice, Susie, and Kathy all passed away before him. He was the last surviving member of his family.
At this moment, there are no plans for any services. Instead of sending flowers, the family asks that you do what Frank instructed them to do: check the oil in your car, change the filter in your furnace, embrace your loved ones, and tell them that you love them.
Please visit our flower shop if you would like to place an order for memorial trees or send flowers to the Davis family in honor of Frank on their behalf.
