- Date Of Birth: February 15, 1951
- Date Of Death: January 19, 2017
- State: Colorado
Mary Elizabeth (Beth) Frank was born on February 15, 1951. She was adopted at 5 weeks of age by Theresa and Harvey Frank in Davenport, Iowa. She has one surviving brother, John (Mary Ann) Frank. She is predeceased by her brother Joseph Edward (Debbie) Frank, and her husband, Joseph McGarry. She grew up on a farm in Dewittt, and was a true farm girl. She and her brother, John, raised chickens, and sold their eggs for money. During her high school years, she was involved in many activities such as 4-H, show jumping competitions, and softball. It was then that she developed a passion for horses. In September of 1970, she went to England for a year, and obtained her Assistant Instructor’s Certificate in Equitation, Stable Management, Horsemastership, and Minor Ailments Instruction. Then, she moved to Arizona & began teaching horse show jumping at Judson Boarding School. She worked there for four years. Mary Beth was loved greatly by her students and co-workers. Between the years of 1975 and 1978, she worked at Iowa Mutual with her father Harvey Frank. Then, in 1978, she moved to Colorado Springs, Colorado, and married Joseph Emmett McGarry. They had four children: Rebecca Lee (Justin), Luke Emmett, Natalie Jean, and Patrick Louis. She is survived by her loving children, and two grandchildren, Jade Orchid, and Erica Rose. While most of her time over the years was spent raising her four children, Mary Beth did have a side job that she loved! She dealt cards in Cripple Creek, Colorado. During the early 2000’s until 2015, she worked intermittently at Donley Insurance Company in Florence, Colorado. In 2012, Mary Beth and Joseph moved to Albuquerque, NM. They stayed there for two years before returning to Colorado. The three characteristics that truly defined Mary Beth were her friendliness/ability to talk to anyone, admirable strength, and talent for the piano. She was also very good at chopping and splitting wood for the upcoming winters. She enjoyed canning with her husband Joseph, talking with her children, dealing cards, working outside, traveling, and collecting matchboxes (from the places she traveled to). Also, she loved her grandchildren to the moon and back. In her eyes, they could do no wrong; they were slightly spoiled by Grandma! Most importantly, she taught her children to be strong, independent, and self-sufficient. In 2014 Mary Beth was diagnosed with cancer. She lived with the cancer along with treatments for nearly 2 ½ years. On January 19th, 2017, she passed away at Penrose Main Hospice Unit with family by her side. One wish that Mary Beth had was to have her body donated to science at Colorado State University for research. Her family made sure that her wish was granted. Mary Beth Frank will be missed greatly by many friends and family.
