Frances Owen

Born June 11, 1925 in Hiawatha, Kansas to Beulah and Ernest Jimeson, she was the oldest of three sisters. She attended Reserve High School in Reserve, Kansas. She married, "Coach" Tracy J Owen in 1942 in a ceremony at home. From there the adventure began for this farm girl. First, as the wife of a teacher in Iowa, then as a navy wife when they went all the way to Farragut, Idaho. It was then they decided to raise their family in the Pacific Northwest. Following military service, Tracy and Fran traveled to Hartford Connecticut to attend insurance school. Arriving in Shoreline in 1946, they found success in the insurance business, real estate investments and King County politics. In addition to these activities, Fran always made time to be an avid outdoors woman with her husband as they pursued hunting, fishing, boating, African safaris and traveling around the world. Beyond Fran's primary role of devoted wife, mother and grandmother, she enjoyed her work as a property manager until she was 80. Fran served on the guild of the Seattle Children's Hospital, and several community and civic organizations including serving on the board of the Shoreline Historical Museum. Although she didn't have a formal degree, her surviving children say she had a "master's in grace and humility".

She is survived by her sisters, Maxine Corbet of Hiawatha, KS and Mary Hards of Mill Creek, WA and her children Tracy C Owen, his wife Jennifer Armstrong Owen and Stephanie Nelson, her husband Robert L Nelson. She is also survived by eight grandchildren and four great grandchildren. Everyone, but especially her grandchildren, called her "Granny Franny". Her husband, Tracy J Owen pre-deceased her in 1987, as did her daughter, Victoria Vitus in 1997.

Your condolences for the family may be left at

http://www.washelli.com/ . In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Seattle Children's Hospital where Fran served the guild as a lifetime member. https://giveto.seattlechildrens.org/giv