Frank Sherer, 87

Frank Sherer, 87, of Mountain Home, died peacefully at home with his family and caregivers at his bedside on June 1, 2004.

His death came just one day shy of his 88th birthday and 64th wedding anniversary.

Memorial services were held Saturday, June 7, at the Congregational Church in Mountain Home with Reverend Truman Parker officiating. A reception was held for family and friends at the Mountain Home Elks Lodge following the services.

Frank was born June 2, 1916, in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada and moved with his German parents to the city of Great Falls, Mont., at the age of four months. He graduated from high school in Great Falls in 1935.

"Frank was not only a hard-working young man, but he had a love for music, which showed up in his ability to play the violin, dance, and whistle," his family noted. "He showed early signs of entrepreneurship when he sold fresh produce from his mother's garden at the age of eight."

During and following high school he worked in the grocery business and for J.C. Penney where he was always one of the top employees.

In 1940, on his 24th birthday, he married Orel Montana (Dolly) Olson.

In 1942 he attended Radio Technician school at Bozeman College with the intent of entering the Air Force. When he was unable to pass the physical, he farmed with his father-in-law, O.K. Olson, outside of Box Elder, Mont.

In 1948, he purchased his own farm in Rudyard, Mont., but sold it in 1951 after serious back surgery. In the meantime, he had purchased a small clothing store in Fairfield, Mont., which he and Dolly operated for three years until they purchased the Hub Clothiers, a small men's clothing and shoe store in Mountain Home, in 1953.

Ten years later they built a larger store and added women's wear, operating in the community for 48 years as one of the oldest family-owned businesses.

Frank once again added farming to the mix in 1961, with the death of his father-in-law.

Business, farming, and family were Frank's life, and the family vacations were more than likely spent harvesting the wheat crop in Montana where "it was a special time for all to come together to work, play, and gain a sense of the land," his family said.

He continued to enjoy the beauty of wheat farming in Montana and running a business in Idaho until a severe stroke in 1996. After one year of special care in the nursing home, Dolly found a way to bring him home. "With the help of loving CNAs, Dolly has cared for him daily for the past seven years," his family said.

Frank was past president of the Mountain Home Chamber of Commerce, a charter member of the Mountain Home BPOE Elks Lodge, past Chairman of the Board of Trustees, and past Elk of the Year.

Frank was preceded in death by his mother and father, Frank and Matidda Sherer, and by his sisters, Mary (and husband, Les) Tripp and Margaret Clune.

He is survived by: his wife, Dolly; three children, Roger, of Great Falls, Suzanne (Mrs. Dewey Roberts) of Mountain Home, and Sallie (Mrs. Joseph Thibodeaux) of Palm City, Fla.; seven grandchildren; three great-grandchildren; a brother,Frederick and his wife, Anna, of Great Falls; and a brother-in-law, Nev Clune II of Casper, Wyo.;

Donations can be made to the BPOE Elks Lodge #2276 in Mountain Home or the Idaho Elks Rehab Hospital in Boise.