Ida May Franke

Ida May Franke, who preferred to be called May, heard her calling and took the hands of those she loved and peacefully passed away on Wednesday, October 28, 2015. 

May was born on January 25, 1932 in Akron, to the late John and Eva Murphy. She grew up in Goodyear Heights and was a member of the Goodyear Heights Presbyterian Church for 70 plus years, where she later married her beloved husband Carl, of 66 years. May graduated from East High School in 1949. She married Carl Franke in 1952 and moved to the Charleston, South Carolina Military Naval Base. 

May and her husband finally moved back to Akron and moved 13 more times within two years. She worked at Ohio Northern University and the University of Dayton. She and her husband bought their first home in Macedonia, Ohio and moved again to Tallmadge, where she worked for the Tallmadge School System, and then moving to the Portage Lakes to remain there for the rest of their lives. 

After raising her family, May decided to attend the University of Akron, where she was honored with an Associate’s Degree in Business Administration. She retired from GenCorp and began their wonderful travels to foreign countries and the U.S., always managing to come home to family. Growing up, May loved to hunt and fish with her father, then her husband and children. 

Always creative, she designed and made her own wedding gown, and loved designing and working on her daughters’ homes. May loved to read and learn, especially enjoying the genealogy of her family. She loved butterflies and fancied them landing on her hands, and loved to watch the birds. Nana made the best rhubarb pies and so enjoyed making FUDGE with her grandchildren, and could eat the whole darn pan of fudge and not think that she did anything wrong! She was loving and giving and helped others to succeed. 

Most of all, Nana loved all her grandchildren and would look forward to seeing them and having them spend the night so they could have picnics in bed with root beer floats and fudge at midnight. May was a member of Goodyear Heights Presbyterian Church where she served on the Deacon Board, the Masonic Order of Rainbow Girls and Yusef Khan Caldron. 

She was preceded in death by her husband, Carl T. Franke; parents, John A. and Eva Murphy; sister, Hattie Greenlese; nephew, Mike Greenlese; and aunt, Gwen Whistler. She leaves behind her beloved daughters, Carlyn Toth and Karen Minich (Jim); grandchildren, Mindy Toth Hixson, Katie Toth, Jonathan Minich (Leah) and Matthew Minich; great-grandchildren, Halle and Addie Hixson and Aiden Minich; nephews, Rick Greenlese (Jane) and Jed Derhammer (Linda); and many other family members. 

Memorial services will be held at 7 p.m. on Thursday, November 5, 2015 at Hopkins Lawver Funeral Home, 547 Canton Road (Route 91), Akron (Ellet), Ohio 44312, with Rev. Sue Roseman officiating. Family and friends will be received prior to the service Thursday, from 4 to 7 p.m. Interment will take place Friday, 10:45 a.m. at Ohio Western Reserve National Cemetery.