Oachs and Ward Family Website

1. ELTA ELFRIEDA⁴ OACHS (WILLIAM³, PETER CHARLES² OCHS, PETER¹) was born 05 Mar 1908 in Mapleton, Blue Earth, Minnesota, and died 09 Dec 1978 in Mankato, Blue Earth, Minnesota. She married (1) GLEN MARTIN FRANCIS 24 Mar 1926. He was born 25 Jan 1901 in Vernon Center, Blue Earth, Minnesota, and died suddenly of a heart attack 28 Mar 1966 in Mankato, Blue Earth, Minnesota. She married (2) CLIFFORD RANKIN 10 Jun 1967. He was born 14 Feb 1904, and died Jan 1979 in Mankato, Blue Earth, Minnesota.

Children of ELTA OACHS and GLEN FRANCIS are:

i. GALE MARVIN⁵ FRANCIS, b. 07 Jan 1927, Mankato, Blue Earth, Minnesota; d. 08 Jan 1927, Mankato, Blue Earth, Minnesota.

ii. DWIGHT BERNARD FRANCIS, b. 18 Feb 1928, Mankato, Blue Earth, Minnesota; d. 26 Nov 1997, Mankato, Blue Earth, Minnesota; m. THERESA ANN CRAVEN, 08 May 1951; b. 15 Jan 1929.

iv. LAVERN RONALD FRANCIS, b. 18 Jun 1932, Mankato, Blue Earth, Minnesota; d. 21 Mar 1989, Mankato, Blue Earth, Minnesota; m. IDA VIRGINIA PHILLIPS, 05 Oct 1952; b. 05 Oct 1931; d. 06 Mar 1993, Binham Lake, Cottonwood, Minnesota.

vii. BABY BOYS (TWINS) FRANCIS, b. 31 Dec 1938; d. 01 Jan 1939.

*Three Living Children.

1930 Census Records

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Biography  

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Elta Elfrieda Oachs was born in Sterling Township, Minnesota. She was the first child of sixteen children born to William and Minnie (Ward) Oachs.  Elta attended school in the Mapleton area. She was hired to clean the homes of neighbors and friends during her teen years. Glen was a Milky Way candy bar salesman and traveled by train to various cities.

They worked on several farms before they bought their own farm 3 ½ miles north of Mankato. The farm was small but they raised five children by doing truck farming. The main crop was strawberries.

After her children had become older, Elta became a Stanley Home Products dealer. She had home parties for about 25 years until she had to retire due to poor health. During this time, Glen was a farmer and a carpenter. Glenn died suddenly of a heart attack in 1966. Elta lived on the farm until she married Cliff Rankin on June 10, 1967. They moved to Mankato. Elta passed away on December 9, 1978.  She had Dementia.

Elta and Glen Francis

Elta Oachs Family

Glenn Francis and Elta Oachs

40th Anniversary

Cal Oachs, Cliff Rankin, Elta Oachs and Margaret Oachs.