Notes for: Francis Stephen Bodine
From Ronny Bodine:
From Hennepin County, Minnesota Marriage Records:
Francis S. Bodine AND Virginia Mary Kletzin were married 27 Aug 1949.
Obituary, Star-Tribune (Minneapolis, MN) of 16 Aug 2016.
Bodine, Lt. Col. Francis S. (Ret. USAF) 96 year old resident of Minnetonka, MN, formerly of Edina, MN, passed away on Sunday, August 14, 2016 at his residence. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10:30 AM on Friday, Aug. 19th at Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church in Minnetonka, MN, with Fr. David Ostrowski officiating. Burial will be at Ft. Snelling National Cemetery in Minneapolis, MN. Visitation will be from 4 to 8 PM on Thursday, and from 9:30 to 10:30 AM Friday, both at the church. Francis Stephen Bodine was born at home on August 3, 1920, the third child of Francis Patrick and Elizabeth Louise (Grossman) Bodine in Voltaire, ND. Francis was the eldest son of eighteen children. Francis received his Associates Degree in Engineering from Minot State College in 1940, where he learned to fly with the Civil Air Patrol. He joined the Army Air Corps in March 1941. After flight training and acting as a flight instructor, he was deployed to Halesworth, England as the pilot of a B-24 Liberator with the 489th Bomb Group, 8th Air Force, 2nd Air Division. Francis was the lead crew pilot and flew twenty-three combat missions. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for a mission over France. After WWII he was integrated into the newly formed Air Force and was sent to the University of Minnesota to complete his Bachelor of Science degree in Aeronautical Engineering. Francis met Virginia at the University of Minnesota and they married on August 27, 1949. Francis served in the Pacific Theatre of Operations and was assigned to the 18th Fighter Bomber Group in Korea, flying the P51 Mustang. He completed 67 combat missions in Korea. After several other assignments, including a stint at the Pentagon, in the Air Staff Planning Office for the USAF, he was sent to Harvard University to complete his Masters Degree in Business Administration. Francis retired from the Air Force in 1966 with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Air Medal with 4 Bronze Stars, Korean Service Medal with 3 Bronze Stars, two Presidential Unit Citations, and eight Campaign and Service ribbons during his career. After retiring from the military, Francis joined General Mills where he worked for 17 years before retiring in 1983. Francis enjoyed fishing, golfing, bowling, and gardening. He was a very devout member of the Catholic Church and his deep faith inspired his friends and family. Francis is survived by his wife, Virginia Mary (Kletzin) Bodine; children, Sarah (Kirk) Ward and their children, Geoffrey, Meghan and Lauren, Francis Patrick Bodine and his children, Alyssa and Francis Jedidiah, James (Joan Krikava) Bodine and their children, Eleanor and Peter, Stephen (Patty) Bodine and their children, S. Ross and Caitlin (Jason) Kelley, Thomas Bodine and his children, Jack, Anne and Margaret, and Therese Bodine; sisters, Jenette Warlick, Monica Goetze, and Audrey (Tom) McLaughlin; brothers, Paul Bodine, Mark Bodine, John (Betty) Bodine, Robert (Barbara) Bodine, Ronald (Carol) Bodine, Jerry (Peggy) Bodine, Dale (Sandy) Bodine, Bill (Kim) Bodine; brother's in law, Bob Bernards and Pat Effertz. He was preceded in death by his parents; sisters, Luella (Emanuel) Fix, Viola (Phil) Prescott, Delores Bernards, Loretta Effertz, Sr. Bernadette Bodine OSB; brother Charles Bodine; sister's in law, Debbie Bodine, Donna Bodine, and Kay Bodine; brother's in law, Wesley Warlick and Floyd Goetz; and his grandchild William Francis Bodine (Billy). Memorial donations to Sharing and Caring Hands, Minneapolis MN and Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church, Minnetonka, MN.
Obituary, Star-Tribune (Minneapolis, MN) of Sept 2017.
Bodine, Virginia Mary (nee Kletzin) passed away on September 26, 2017. Virginia was born on Thanksgiving Day in 1923 on November 29th in Minneapolis. She was an only child. She was predeceased by her husband, Francis S Bodine, her parents, Walter and Lillian (Young) Kletzin and her grandchild William Francis Bodine (Billy). She is survived by daughter Sarah (Kirk) Ward, sons F Patrick Bodine, James (Joan Krikava) Bodine, Stephen (Patty) Bodine, Thomas Bodine, and daughter Therese Bodine; grandchildren Geoffrey Ward, Meghan Ward, Lauren Ward, Elle Bodine, Peter Bodine, Alyssa Bodine, F. Jedidiah Bodine, S. Ross Bodine, Caitlin (Jason) Kelley, Jack Bodine, Anne Bodine, and Margaret Bodine. Virginia graduated from the University of Minnesota in 1949 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Bio-Statistics and a minor in Political Science. She worked with the very first electron microscope at the U of M, taking and developing photographs for medical research. As an only child, Virginia inherited the best of both her parents. Her mother was a wonderful cook and Virginia took up that mantle with pride. She loved to entertain and she was known for the large scale buffet she would make every Christmas Eve, celebrating with friends, neighbors, and family. Virginia went hunting and fishing with her father as a child, and played baseball with the neighbor boys at the ball field across the street from her house. This led to a lifelong love of baseball. If she couldn't watch the Minnesota Twins on TV, she listened to the games on the radio! Virginia married Francis S Bodine in 1949 and embraced the life of an officer's wife. She organized events and chaired clubs and made friends, as they moved from one Air Force base to another. This was terrific training for her career. Virginia began working for the Edina Chamber of Commerce in 1976 as the Executive Secretary. Before long, she moved up to Director and was a major mover and shaker in the Edina community from the Edina Garden Club to the League of Women Voters to being an early promoter of community recycling in the 1970's. Her retirement party in 1992 attracted 275 well wishers! With six children, Virginia was kept busy from dawn to dusk for decades. She believed in living life to the fullest and wanted her children to experience life the same way. Outings to parks, museums, restaurants, and plays were regular occurrences. When her grandchildren began arriving she loved spending time with them, sharing her enthusiasm for all life has to offer. Virginia loved people. She loved hearing people's stories, just as much as she enjoyed telling her own. She had a special ability to connect with just about anyone. We will all miss her very much. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11 AM on Friday, October 6, 2017 at St. Patrick's Catholic Church, 6820 St. Patricks Ln, Edina, MN, with Father Glen Jenson officiating. Burial will be at Ft. Snelling National Cemetery in Minneapolis, MN. A Visitation will be held from 5 to 8 PM on Thursday and from 10 to 11 AM Friday at the church. A Parish Prayer Service will be held at 7 PM on Thursday Memorial donations to St Patrick's Catholic Church, Edina, MN, League of Women Voters, Edina, and the Scholarship Fund with the Edina Garden Council. Arrangements are with the Shelley Funeral Chapel in Little Falls, MN (320) 632-5242 www.shelleyfuneralchapels.com