Frances E. Wilhelm

Frances E. Wilhelm, 91, Bismarck, died unexpectedly on February 2, 2013, at Sanford Health in Bismarck. A Mass of Christian burial will be held on Thursday at 11:30 AM at Church of St. Mary in Bismarck with Rev. Msgr. Gene Lindemann officiating. Burial will be at St. Mary's Cemetery. Visitation will be Wednesday from 5:00 – 9:00 PM at Eastgate Funeral Service in Bismarck where a prayer service will begin at 7:00 PM. Visitation will continue one hour prior to the service at the church. Frances was born on January 28, 1922, Regent, ND, the daughter of J.Q. and Violet Davison Jacobs. She graduated from St. Mary's High School in New England. Shortly after that, her future husband, Jack B. Wilhelm, sent for her and she boarded a train to Springfield, IL, where he was training for a future with the Federal Aviation Administration. They were married in Springfield on September 3, 1941. Frances and Jack then moved to Bismarck where they spent their entire life working and raising their family. Frances was a homemaker, but was also the heartbeat of Jack's crop spraying business. Although she was not a hunter, she spent hours tracking anything you could shoot legally with her husband, Jack. She was always a great sport about cooking up a wild game feed for all of his friends after the hunt. Frances was a quiet and well-spoken with a spice for life, and was hip beyond her years. She dearly loved her family especially her two grandchildren, Matt Sandbergen and Hailey Wilhelm. No one was more proud of their accomplishments than she was. She took great pride in her appearance and people always commented on how put together she always looked. Frances loved to garden and took pride in keeping up her yard and home. She loved to travel with her husband and daughters and traveled to such places as Hawaii, Mexico, Holland, and Florida. She loved spending time on the Missouri River and Lake Sakakawea with family and friends and they were widely known for their annual corn feed on the river. Frances is survived by one daughter, Mary Sandbergen of Dunedin, FL; one son, Mark Terri of Bismarck; two grandchildren, Matt Sandbergen of Dunedin, FL, and Hailey Wilhelm of Bismarck; siblings, Irene Gion of Regent, ND, Gerard Lucille Jacobs of Regent, ND, Dybe Jacobs of Bowman, ND, Leonard Carol Jacobs of Reeder, ND, LeRoy Jacobs of New England, ND, Alton Leona Jacobs Dickinson, ND, Quirina Schmidt of Bismarck, ND, and Kay Newby of Dickinson, ND; and many nieces and nephews that were dear to her heart. She was preceded in death by her husband of 66 years, Jack; her parents, one daughter and son-in-law, Rachelle and Gary Sorensen; two brothers, Walter and Wallace Jacobs; two sisters, Leona Mischel and Toni Reavis; three brothers-in-law; and one sister-in-law.

Frances E. Wilhelm

January 28, 1922 - February 2, 2013