Frank Francl1,2,3

ID# 18996, (1864 - 1901)
FatherAnton Francl4 (abt 1822 - )
MotherBarbara [surname unknown]5 (abt 1832 - )

Key Events:

Birth: Aug 1864, Bohemia6,7,8
Marriage: about 1885, Omaha, Nebraska, Mary Rysavy (14 Oct 1865 - 26 Apr 1954)9,10
Death: 4 Jul 1901, 1245 South 13th St., Omaha, Douglas Co., Nebraska11,12

Copyright Notice

Narrative:

     Frank Francl was born in Aug 1864 in Bohemia.6,7,8 He was born as Franz Franzl, but used the name Frank Francl after immigrating.1
     Frank arrived 9 Nov 1874 in Baltimore, Maryland, with his parents, Anton Francl and Barbara [surname unknown], five brothers, and two sisters, aboard the S.S. Ohio, having departed from Bremen. He was later naturalized.13,14
     He appeared on the 1880 Federal Census of Cotesfield, Howard Co., Nebraska, in the household of his parents, Anton Francl and Barbara [surname unknown].4
     While his father maintained the family home in Howard Co., he seems to have spent much of his time in Omaha, working as a tailor. He appears there in the city directories of 1876, 1879, 1881, and 1884 through 1886. Some intervening years are missing, and he does not appear in others, so it is unclear whether he was there continuously or intermittently.15,16
     Frank married Mary Rysavy about 1885 in Omaha, Nebraska.9,10
     The first record of Frank in Omaha is in 1887, when he was working as a laborer in a smelting works. He was living with his father at 1216 S 14th.17
     Frank's father opened a saloon at 1502 William St., operating it until about 1889. In 1888 and 1889 Frank worked there as a bartender, apparently living at several different places, including 1511 William St. and 1319 S. 15th St.18
     Frank was not listed in Omaha in 1890 through 1892, so he may have returned to rural Nebraska. But by 1893 he was in Omaha and was operating a saloon at his father's previous location, and living at the same address. He operated the saloon there until about 1898, when he relocated it two blocks away to 1268-70 South 13th St. but continued to live on William St. His saloon was listed at the new address the next year but he is not listed in Omaha after that.19,20,21,22,23
     State law at the time prohibited saloons from being open on Sunday, but the rule was widely ignored. The police chief decided to enforce the Sunday closing provision on 29 Jan 1899, and Frank was among six saloonkeepers in the neighborhood charged with being open on Sunday.24
     There is no indication of whether the family was living in the city during the time Frank worked there, or remained in rural Nebraska. In mid-1899 he went to Ord, Valley Co. and opened a saloon there.25,26
     Frank and Mary moved to Valley Co., Nebraska, before 1900.27
     Frank and Mary appeared on the 1900 Federal Census of Ord, Valley Co., Nebraska, enumerated 15 Jun 1900, reporting that they rented their home. Their children Mary, Joseph, Lillian and Bessie were listed as living with them.28
     He returned to Omaha in Mar 1901, where he was a bartender at John Hroch's saloon at 1245 South 13th St.. He lived in a room above the saloon.29
     On 4 Jul 1901 he complained of not feeling well, and after visiting with a nephew he stopped at a pharmacy for something to help. Returning home he took a drink of whisky and went to bed. He was found dead shortly afterwards. His family in Ord was notified by telegram.29
     Frank died on 4 Jul 1901 in 1245 South 13th St., Omaha, Douglas Co., Nebraska, at age 36, in his room above the saloon where he worked. There was no burial because the body was lost or destroyed after an autopsy.11,12
     A coroner's jury was convened on 6 Jul 1901, and found that Frank's death was due to sunstroke, hastened by not securing proper medical attention. Joseph Tuchek, the pharmacist that provided a "tonic" at Frank's request, was censured for providing it without a prescription. He testified that it was composed of essence of pepsin, iron, quinine, and strychnine. The doctors who performed the post mortem disagree on whether there was enough strychnine to cause his death, but said that the iron and quinine were both very harmful in his condition and hastened his death.30

Children:
     Children with Mary Rysavy

Frank and Mary had at least two other children who died before 1900 and whose names are not known.34
  • Mary M. Francl28,31,32 (6 Jan 1888 - 2 Aug 1952)
  • Joseph Francl28 (28 Jan 1890 - 30 May 1907)
  • Lillian M. Francl28 (13 Jul 1891 - 3 Feb 1974)
  • Bessie F. Francl33,31 (19 Sep 1897 - 22 Nov 1990)

Citations

  1. [S4781] Ohio arrival 9 Nov 1874, Passenger Lists, Baltimore, 1820-1891, passenger no 134, shows name as Franz Franzl.
  2. [S4858] John F. Shurtz and Mary Francl, Marriage Record, shows name as Frank Francl.
  3. [S4782] Anton Francl household, 1880 U.S. Census, Howard Co., Nebraska, shows name as Frank Francl.
  4. [S4782] Anton Francl household, 1880 U.S. Census, Howard Co., Nebraska.
  5. [S4782] Anton Francl household, 1880 U.S. Census, Howard Co., Nebraska, shows him as the son of her husband.
  6. [S4781] Ohio arrival 9 Nov 1874, Passenger Lists, Baltimore, 1820-1891, passenger no 134, shows age 9 on arrival 9 Nov 1874, and country.
  7. [S4776] Frank Francl household, 1900 U.S. Census, Valley Co., Nebraska, shows month, year, age 35, and county.
  8. [S4782] Anton Francl household, 1880 U.S. Census, Howard Co., Nebraska, shows age 15 and country.
  9. [S4776] Frank Francl household, 1900 U.S. Census, Valley Co., Nebraska, shows married 15 years.
  10. [S4774] Mary Francl Rite Are Held Tuesday, undated clipping, shows they married when she was 19, and city.
  11. [S4792] "Dies from Head Prostration," Evening World-Herald, 5 Jul 1901, shows he died "yesterday afternoon," address.
  12. [S500] Findagrave.com, online, memorial # 92087872, Frank Francl, shows date, city, county, and state, and note about burial.
  13. [S4781] Ohio arrival 9 Nov 1874, Passenger Lists, Baltimore, 1820-1891, passengers no 128-139.
  14. [S4776] Frank Francl household, 1900 U.S. Census, Valley Co., Nebraska, shows year, as 1872, and natualized.
  15. [S4785] Brown's Directory of Omaha, Nebraska, 1776, pg 127.
  16. [S4786] Omaha City Directory, 1779 pg 156; 1881 pg 191; and 1884 pg 176.
  17. [S4786] Omaha City Directory, 1887 pg 226.
  18. [S4786] Omaha City Directory, 1887 pg 226; 1888 pg 292; and 1889 pg 272.
  19. [S4788] "Notice," Application of Frank Francl for liquor license, Evening World Herald, 29 Dec 1893, shows application 12 Dec 1893 for following year, at 1502 Williams St.
  20. [S4786] Omaha City Directory, 1893 pg 318; and 1894 pg 308.
  21. [S4787] McAvoy's Omaha City Directory, 1895 pg 200; 1896 pg 187; 1897 pg 238; 1898 pg 266; and 1899 pg 263.
  22. [S4789] "Notice," Application of Frank Francl for liquor license, Evening World Herald, 18 Dec 1895, shows application 12 Dec 1895 for following year, at 1502 Williams St.
  23. [S4790] "Notice," Application of Frank Francl for liquor license, Evening World Herald, 30 Dec 1897, shows application 17 Dec 1897 for following year, at 1268-70 S 13th St.
  24. [S4791] "One Sunday Observed," Evening World Herald, 30 Jan 1899, shows application 17 Dec 1897 for following year, at 1268-70 S 13th St.
  25. [S4776] Frank Francl household, 1900 U.S. Census, Valley Co., Nebraska, shows occupation as bartender saloon.
  26. [S4792] "Dies from Head Prostration," Evening World-Herald, 5 Jul 1901, shows he left Omaha for Ord some two years ago and opened a saloon.
  27. [S12888] Mary Frand obituary, The Lincoln Star, shows she moved there in 1901 after the death of her husband.
  28. [S4776] Frank Francl household, 1900 U.S. Census, Valley Co., Nebraska.
  29. [S4792] "Dies from Head Prostration," Evening World-Herald, 5 Jul 1901.
  30. [S4793] "That Medicine Bad for Frank Francl," Sunday World-Herald, 7 Jul 1901.
  31. [S4775] Mary Francil household, 1910 U.S. Census, Valley Co., Nebraska, shows her as daughter of his widow.
  32. [S4858] John F. Shurtz and Mary Francl, Marriage Record.
  33. [S4776] Frank Francl household, 1900 U.S. Census, Valley Co., Nebraska, shows the girl as daughter of Mary's husband and that the parents had been married longer than the age of the child.
  34. [S4776] Frank Francl household, 1900 U.S. Census, Valley Co., Nebraska, shows her as mother of six, with four living, and four children listed.