Fran C. Weinand

Long Beach, Calif.

Fran C. Weinand, 92, a long-time Minot resident, died peacefully at her daughter’s residence in Long Beach, California, on January 24th, 2023.

Fran was born November 25, 1930, on the family farm, 5 miles from Orrin, N.D., and was 4th child of 15. Fran was the daughter of Christ and Anna (Miller) Mitzel. She grew up and attended a rural school in Pierce County. She moved to Minot in March 1951 and worked for Roy Voeller as a nanny. After that, she was a waitress. She married Charles Weinand on September 9, 1953, in Orrin, N.D. In the late ’60s, she returned to work at McCurdy’s Restaurant, Gaffney’s, DePaul’s Jewelry, and St. Joseph’s Hospital. She retired in November 1992, after working at Kinney Shoes for almost 16 years. She lived in Minot until 2021, then moved to Long Beach, California.

Fran loved to travel. During her retirement, she and her youngest daughter, Penny, started one of many different vacations by going on a seven-week trip, starting in Los Angeles and touring through most of the southern and eastern United States. Fran has traveled to all 50 states and has visited the following countries: Mexico, Canada, Aruba, Costa Rica, Panama, Australia, Italy, Monaco, France, England, Holland, Germany, Greece, and Turkey. Highlights have been: being in Sydney, Australia, during New Year’s and watching the fireworks, sailing thru the Panama Canal, seeing the Pope in a Papal audience, attending a Latin mass at Notre Dame at Notre Dame Cathedral, driving the Amalfi Coast, and going to Normandy and seeing all the landing beaches. She also was in the White House twice under different Presidents. Some of her fun activities were riding Maid of the Mist 3 days in a row in Niagara Falls, parasailing three times, climbing the Sydney Harbor Bridge, touching the Liberty Bell, being there for President Clinton’s inauguration, taking a carriage ride in Central Park, riding in a hot air balloon at the Albuquerque Balloon Festival, gambling in Monaco, driving a jeep in the mud in Hawaii and riding an ATV around the Island of Santorini. Fran has flown in many helicopters for tours and even one bi-plane ride. During the seven-week vacation, she was yelled at and waved to by Bill Clinton, who said, “Hello, Mom from North Dakota.” Fran also attended many Boston Red Sox games at Fenway Park in Boston. One of her favorite things was staying up late playing pinochle with all her relatives.

Fran is survived by: her daughters, Becky (Jeff) Brown, Kodak, Tenn; Penny Weinand, Long Beach, Calif., son; Terry Weinand, Long Beach, Calif; grandson: Sean (Jackie) Maier, Hot Springs, Ark; siblings, Cecilia Bruner, Drake, N.D., Opal Bachmeier, Fargo, N.D., Joe (Carol) Mitzel, Minot, N.D., Rita (Louie) Schiele, Velva, N.D., Leo (Judy) Mitzel, Seattle, Wash., Gerald (Bernie) Mitzel, Orrin, N.D., Bradley (Deb) Mitzel, Dryden, Va.

Fran was preceded in death by her parents, Christ and Anna Mitzel; son, Robert (Bob) Weinand; siblings: Rose Koble, Mike Mitzel, Theresa Burgard, Richard Mitzel, Tillie Schmaltz, Eddie Mitzel, and infant brother, Clement Mitzel.

Visitation: Friday, March 3, 2023, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Thompson-Larson Funeral Home, Minot.

Vigil Prayer Service: Friday, March 3, 2023, 7 p.m. at Thompson-Larson Funeral Home, Minot.

Memorial Mass of Christian Burial: Saturday, March 4, 2023, at 10:30 a.m. at St. Leo The Great Catholic Church in Minot.

Interment of her urn will take place Rosehill Memorial Park, Minot.

The service will be livestreamed for the public to view and can be accessed by going to the Thompson-Larson Funeral home website: www.thompsonlarson.com

Those wishing to sign the online register and share memories may access the online obituaries section at (www.thompsonlarson.com).

Published by The Minot Daily News, March 2, 2023.