Frank William Hock

Frank William Hock Obituary Age 99 Years, 4 Months, and 11 days. Born July 16, 1925; Died March 5, 2025 We mourn the loss yet celebrate the century of life lived by Frank William Hock, who passed away at the age of 99. Frank was a highly respected member of the Greatest Generation, facing life’s adversities with resilience, hard work, and determination. He was fun to be around, supportive of his children, and a loving grandfather who modeled how to work hard and shared his wisdom with his family. At his core, he was a patriot firmly committed to the ideals upon which our country was founded. Born during the Great Depression, Frank experienced early hardship, losing his father as a young boy and seeing his siblings split apart into foster care. His resolve grew more substantial, and during WWII, at age 17, he joined the Navy and served valiantly, piloting a Higgins Boat landing craft during the Invasion of Normandy at Omaha and Utah Beaches. After WWII, he returned to his home in Crosby-Ironton, MN, and met a strong-willed woman named Jenny Klun. They decided to move west and try to find work at Boeing Aircraft in Seattle. However, he met a fellow veteran in Billings who said they were hiring miners in Butte, Montana. What was supposed to be a six-month stay in Butte turned into 22 years of working in the mines and taverns. He worked in four mines and became a shift boss at the Anselmo. His sons Michael and Wayne were born during that time. He developed early signs of lung disease and decided to try something other than working in the dusty mines of Butte. He became a bartender at the Ocean Bar and later bought an East Park Street bar called the C.O.D. The C.O.D. was in one of the wildest sections of Butte, had a large dance floor, live music, and many fisticuffs. After the collapse of the copper industry and the closing of the Butte mines, he started a home improvement business in Kiester, Minnesota. He later moved the business to Colorado Springs, Colorado. He was very successful and was able to retire at a young age. Once retired, he started a project with his sons to build a family cabin near Wise River up on Johnson Creek. Building that log cabin with him was one of our family's greatest joys. It took seven years to complete, and he loved it and spent many summers at that cabin. Frank and Jenny enjoyed 17 peaceful years there, surrounded by family and nature, maintaining their winter residence in Henderson, Nevada. Frank had a genuine gift for storytelling, often entertaining family and visitors with tales of Butte’s heyday. Generous and welcoming, his home was a haven for fun and conversation and a tasty “toppin” from the Town Talk Bakery. He also made and shared the finest Gin and Tonics. Frank is survived by his sons Wayne (Jackie) and Michael (Irma), his grandchildren Janis Zeier (Dan), Shawna Rothwell (Jon), Jeffrey Hock (Carrie), Sharman Hock, Alyson Chroust (Clayton), triplets Jack, Lydia, and Justin Hock, and grand step daughter Cali Brasseur (Jack). Frank was blessed by several great-grandchildren: Brittney Zeier, Rilee Delgado, Chase Oien, Addison and Sydney Hock (twins), Claire Hock, Presleigh Rask,Tyson Coyne, and Emma Chroust. His grandson Bryan Hock, was predeceased. Frank also had special friendships with Linda Hock, Suzie Hock, and Donna Owen. In the end, Frank was just worn out. He is now pain-free and eager to rejoin his wife, Jenny; his brother, John; his mother, Susan; his father, Ed; and his siblings, Stuart, Bob, Doris, Ethel, Bill, and many hard rock miners and others who liked him without question. Wayne and I are proud to be his sons, and we learned much about life and people from him. We will enjoy his celebration of life and, with other family, will share many stories about him. He will be interred in the Black Hills National Veterans Cemetery in South Dakota with his wife, Jenny, in the spring.

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Frank William Hock

July 16, 1925 - March 5, 2025