- Date Of Birth: January 14, 1925
- Date Of Death: January 26, 2018
- State: Texas
January 14, 1925 – January 26, 2018
On Friday January 26, 2018, Frances Wilson Wendler breathed her last breath and departed from this world to Heaven. A place where she could see her beloved Adie again, read a book or play bridge in the sunshine, and where she could garden to her heart’s content and none of her plants will ever die.
Fran was born on January 14, 1925, into the loving arms of Col. Murray C. and Marietta Wilson, with her older sister Mary waiting in anticipation. With her father being a colonel in the United States Army, Fran had an adventurous childhood, living around the world in places like Washington D.C., the Philippines, China, San Francisco, and Fort Sill Oklahoma. She regaled her grandchildren and great grandchildren with stories of packing frantically to get out of China as the war shifted, shopping in exotic Philippine marketplaces, and getting thrown from her horse when she took riding lessons with General Patton’s daughter.
In adulthood, Fran settled in Boerne when she came to join her father and mother at their country estate, which is now known as Meadowlands. Accompanying her on her move were her two young children from her first marriage, Susan Jane and Thomas Lindsey. It was in this quaint German Hill Country town that she met the love of her life, Adolph Wendler. Known to all as Adie, he was a local German rancher with deep ties to the community. Married on February 8, 1957, they spent 60 beautiful years together. Boerne became home, as Fran and Adie created a home together on the ranch where Susie and Tom flourished. They each went on to marry and have families of their own, still calling Boerne their home today. Fran and Adie were both involved in every step of their six grandchildren’s lives, teaching them about life as a sheep ranching family, attending their many sporting events, taking them to swim lessons every summer, and helping them participate in 4-H.
To speak of Fran’s character, one would say Fran was a doer. She worked as the bookkeeper for Davis Insurance on Main Street for 34 years faithfully. She was a lifelong volunteer for the American Cancer Society, always participating in their swimathons and other fundraisers. She volunteered for decades at the Boerne Public Library, and she was an active member of many civic and homemaking clubs around Boerne. Fran was an accomplished hunter, equestrian, gardener, swimmer, and homemaker. She loved to travel and had a wanderlust that propelled her to take trips to places all over America with her friends. From her first breath until her last, Fran was fearsome to behold. Beautiful yet accomplished, she was an unforgettable wife, mother, grandmother, great grandmother, and friend.
She leaves behind a legacy as follows (in order according to age):
Daughter Susan Adamek and her husband David
Son Thomas Elkins and wife Sandie
Grandchildren: Chris Adamek and wife Dawn, Grace Villafone and husband Carlos, Amy Conroy and husband Steve, Faith Agold, Lesli Baltz and husband Derek, Grant Elkins
Great Grandchildren: Amanda Galvan, Emma Villafone, Joshua Adamek, Gracen Villafone, Sarah Adamek, Skye Conroy, Carlos Villafone, Autumn Conroy, Ben Villafone, Elizabeth Agold, Allan and Alice Baltz, Ellis Conroy, and Rebekah Agold
