Frances "Frankie" Lou (Allen) Best

Frances Lou Allen Best "Frankie" was born October 20, 1932 to Claude and Laura Allen. Her parents were farmers who instilled the values of diligent work, honesty and family. Frankie and her siblings worked on the family farm located in Neligh, Nebraska. They lived modestly, without electricity or indoor plumbing.

After graduating from high school, at the age of 16, Frankie taught elementary and high school for three years at an Antelope County School. Frankie attended nursing school at Lincoln General Hospital in Lincoln, Nebraska. She received a Distinguished Service Award for nursing and was the hospital's night shift supervisor. It was here in her early 20s that she made a significant contribution to post-operative care by being part of the team who developed the first post-anesthesia care unit.

Frankie met Bill C. Best, a dental student while in Lincoln. They met and dated in Lincoln and later married on July 8, 1954. Frankie and Bill moved to Fairhope, Alabama with their young family while Bill served in the U.S. Navy. They returned to Lincoln to raise their family.

Frankie was fond of crafts, playing bridge, social activities, bringing people together, and cooking. Her interest in quilting was stimulated by a teenage daughter who took up quilting. Wanting to share her daughter's passion, Frankie took an interest in the art of quilting.

Frankie played a pivotal role in two major Lincoln Quilters Guild initiatives during the 1970s and 1980s. Though modest about her contributions, she was a skilled organizer. Her first major undertaking was leading the planning of Quilt Symposium ’77: Fine Art, Folk Art, held at Nebraska Wesleyan University. Under her leadership and the dedication of the committee, the event brought national recognition to the Guild.

As one of the first U.S. symposiums to feature lectures, workshops, vendors, and a quilt gallery, it attracted over 600 participants from 40 states and Europe, with an additional 1,500 visiting the exhibit. The event generated $10,000 in revenue—equivalent to over $50,000 today. For many attendees, it was a transformative experience, offering a sense of personal agency and community.

Frankie later led the Nebraska Quilt Project, overseeing professional hires and organizing Quilt History Days to document quilts and their stories. From 1987 to 1989, teams traveled statewide to interview and photograph family quilts, capturing the lives behind them. The project culminated in The Nebraska project in the critically acclaimed book, Nebraska Quilts and Quiltmakers, which won Smithsonian’s Frost Prize for Distinguished Scholarship in American Crafts in 1993. In the preface, Frankie Best writes: “… this work demanded a commitment and personal sacrifice from everyone. From our first meeting in January 1985, we dedicated our energies toward producing a work that would be useful, meaningful, and available to the public at large.”

Frankie also hosted weekly meetings in her dining room, forming a dedicated group known as the Wednesday Girls—who continue to meet and contribute to the success of the International Quilt Museum (IQM). Frankie’s love of quilts and community continue to have an impact on the IQM and its visitors.

Frankie loved to travel and was a life-long learner, often auditing classes at the University of Nebraska and later at Washburn University in Topeka, Kansas. Her first husband, Bill passed away on May 27, 1996. Frankie met Robert Parman of Topeka, Kansas at an Elderhostel program where they shared their love of learning and travelling. Frankie and Robert were married on October 3, 1997 and Frankie left Lincoln for Topeka.

In Topeka, Frankie continued in a new P.E.O. Chapter, participated in book clubs and other social organizations. She organized social events and dinner parties. She and Bob traveled the world and continued learning about people and social customs that broadened their experiences.

After Robert passed away on July 7, 2023, Frankie decided to move to Colorado to be close to family. She moved first to Greeley in November, 2023 and then to Windsor in May, 2025 after suffering a stroke. Frankie continued to form social connections and bring people together while living in Colorado and was able to play her beloved Bridge three weeks before her passing.

Frankie is survived by her three children: daughter Jeane Best (Craig Buhrendorf) of Denver, North Carolina; daughter Anne Best Johnson (Paul Johnson) of Windsor, Colorado and their children Paul Johnson (Courtney Painter) of Bothell, Washington and Katharine Johnson of Lomita, California; and son Paul Best (Melinda Best) of Maine and grandchildren Roya Best of Boston, Massachusetts and William Best of Cleveland, Ohio, along with step-granddaughters Kristen Levesque of California and Ashley Levesque of Colorado.

Frankie's marriage to Robert in 1997 expanded her family even more, with three stepchildren: Craig (Linda) Parman of Wichita, Kansas; Dwight (Lisa) Parman of Topeka, Kansas; and Janice (Mark) Hansen of Prairie Village, Kansas; and numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Frankie passed away peacefully in her sleep on October 27, 2025. Frankie told her Chaplain and her family many times that she was looking forward to being reunited with loved ones and being in a peaceful place.

A Memorial Service for Frankie will be held on Friday, December 12, 2025 at the Drake Chapel, located at 650 W Drake Road in Fort Collins, Colorado, immediately followed by a catered reception. She will be laid to rest at Lincoln Memorial Park in Lincoln, Nebraska at a later date in a private ceremony.

Frankie's Memorial Service will also be streamed online through TribuCast, and may be attended remotely by visiting the following link: https://client.tribucast.com/tcid/c25112527700240

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the International Quilt Museum/UNL, located at 1523 North 3rd Street, ATTN: Frankie Best Memorial, Lincoln, Nebraska, 68583.