Frances Lucille Kasemeier

Frances was born June 3, 1924 in Waverly, Iowa, the 3rd daughter of the late Ray and Faye Anderson, followed two years later by a brother, all cradle Catholics. In her early years, she and her brother were outdoor children, swimming, sand lot ball, ice-skating, sledding and anything out doors. She took tap dancing lessons with her sister. She was a girl scout when they only sold one kind of cookie. In high school she was a majorette in the marching band. During her junior year of high school, World War II began and all male graduates had to sign up for induction into service. After graduation, she worked at J.C. Penney’s and started dating a former classmate, Carl Kasemeier. Carl was called into military service and released in 1946. A year later, she and Carl were married. The Korean War began and in 1950, Carl was recalled into active duty. On October 12, 1951, he was wounded and spent many months in the hospital at Camp Atterbury. He was then assigned to St. Cloud, Minnesota from 1953-1955 and then to Frankfort Germany. Their son, Casey was born in 1956. During this assignment Frances was a Girl Scout Leader and played softball. In 1958, Carl was assigned to Fort Benning, Georgia as Company C Commander of School Troops. It became Frances’s job to organize the wives of students in C Company. She set up orientation regarding post policies. Each group elected officers to serve while husbands were in school. The primary reason to organize was all gatherings had to be held on base, as Georgia was a segregated state. Carl and Frances adopted a baby girl and named her Julia when she was 13 months old. Frances and a friend went to Denver, Colorado, working in a plant making necessary war essentials. She served in the U.S.O. and later moved to Lynchburg, Virginia, doing essential work and was a member of the U.S.O. there. Back in Iowa, while Carl served in the Philippines, she worked for the Department of Agriculture. Then assigned to Garmisch Germany in 1962, Frances was very active at church and was a member of the Officers Wives Club, on a bowling team and square danced. She also had a den of Boy Scouts. Carl received orders shortly for Viet Nam and Frances became a baseball mom for Casey while Julie was in preschool. Vatican Council II was in Rome and Garmisch was a good stop over no matter if you were going to Rome, or going home and many clergy found Frances and Carl’s home a welcome place. Frances served as secretary for the Military Council of Catholic Women, which covered all bases out of the U.S. in 1965 Carl, chose Arkansas as his last duty assignment and was assigned as the Army leader to the Reserve Units in South West Arkansas.

Frances was a faithful member of St. John the Baptist Catholic Church where she became the first woman to lector, eventually receiving an acknowledgement for 40 years of service. She was a member of St. Johns Counsel of Catholic Women, the Century Club, Vanilla Investment Club, Emblem Club, Sacred Heart Circle and the Social Justice Committee.

She was preceded in death by her husband Carl Edward Kasemeier, daughter Julia Faye Kasemeier; siblings James Russell Anderson, Lenore Elizabeth Anderson Hazlett and Rae Jean Bolin.

Survivors include her son Casey Kasemeier & wife Daphneleah; niece Natasha Faye Kasemeier; grandchildren Blake Kasemeier, Grace Kasemeier, Austin Lee Kasemeier, Autumn Faye Spainhour, Cody Dawson Spainhour, Chevy Esten Spainhour and Harley Davidson Spainhour; great grandchildren Owen Kasemeier, Milo Quinn Kasemeier, Kimberlee Ann- Renea Faye Kasemeier and Envvie Annalee Sue Kasemeier.

Visitation will be Thursday, 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm at Gross Funeral Home. Rosary will be Friday at 3:30 pm with Mass beginning at 4:00 pm at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church, with Father George Sanders officiating.

A memorial service will be held 11:00 am Saturday, June 3, 2023 at St. Mary’s Cemetery, Waverly, Iowa.

Guests may register at www.grossfuneralhome.com

Services will be livestreamed at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church of Hot Springs.