Her parents were Adolph Louis Bockelman and Edith Blanche Devore. She attended first grade through eighth grade at District 75 (Shady Corner) in Cass County Nebraska. She then attended and graduated from Ashland High School in 1946. Frances lived on the family farm until she and her mother moved to Ashland in 1947. She lived in Ashland until her mother passed in 1965, and she then moved to Lincoln.
Frances grew up during the depression and drought of the 1930’s. Her father passed when she was nine years old. She had to assume responsibilities by doing work around the farm and in the field with her brother, Ellis. One of her chores of which she detested was to pick up corn cobs from the pig pen that was used for fuel to burn in the kitchen stove.
Frances worked in the office of Ashland Public Schools from September 1947 through April 1949. She began working at the state capital in the State Department of Agriculture in May 1949. She transferred to the Department of Education in July 1963. She retired on December 27, 1991, with 42 years of employment with the State of Nebraska.
Frances attended the Greenwood Methodist Church in Greenwood, Nebraska as a child. She became a member of the United Methodist Church at Ashland, Nebraska as an adult. Her membership was transferred to Trinity United Methodist Church when she moved to Lincoln in 1965.
After retirement from the State of Nebraska, she moved into the Charles Senior Housing in Lincoln. She lived at the Charles for over 30 years. She moved to the Ambassador Health at Nebraska City in March 2023 where she enjoyed playing cards and bingo. Frances loved nature. Her favorite bird was the cardinal. She fed the birds at the Charles Senior Housing where she lived for many years. She also enjoyed flowers and usually made up a planter of pansies at the Charles. She was also an avid reader and enjoyed crafts. She made hundreds of handmade greeting cards in her spare time.
Frances volunteered at the Nebraska Historical Society in the Reference Department. She enjoyed working as a Records Researcher. Frances hopes she will be remembered as the family historian. She shared the information for the Devore family in a newsletter, which was distributed at the Devore family reunions. She was also a member of the NE YMCA, where she participated in water aerobics, during her time living in Lincoln.
She was preceded in death by her parents, brother Ellis and sister-in-law Margaret Bockelman, niece and nephew Sheralee and Rolland Pickel, nieces Karen Kay and Carol Jean and nephews Willard Allen and Steven Earl, and great- great nephew Taylor James. She is survived by niece and nephew Cindy and Rod Ruhge, and great nephew Rory Pickel.
Service will be held at 11:00 a.m., Wednesday, August 13, 2025, at the Roper and Sons Waverly Funeral Home at 10851 N 148th St, Waverly NE 68462. Burial will be held prior to the service at 10:00 a.m., in the Greenwood Cemetery near Greenwood, Nebraska.
Memorials to the family for future designation.
Link to Service Recording: https://vimeo.com/1109712387/72c41f427d?share=copy