Francois "Frank" Etchevers, 84, died on Oct. 25, 2016. He was born on Oct. 1, 1932, in Banca, France, to Gratian and Jeanne Marie Etchevers. Frand his twin sister, Marie, were the oldest of eight children. There will be a visitation in O'Hair-Wards Funeral Chapel on Thursday, Nov. 3, 2016, from noon to 4 p.m. Recitation of the holy rosary will be held at 9:30 a.m. Nov. 4, in Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Catholic Church in Chiloquin followed by a funeral mass at 10 a.m. Frank and Berniece were married in this church. A reception will follow in the hall behind the church. Frank came to this country when he was 18 years old in 1950. He went to work for his uncle when he first got here. He later herded sheep for several sheep men. Saving his money, he later bought into a partnership with a sheep man. He was partner and camp tender for the partnership when he met his wife, Berniece Ericksen. They married on June 10, 1967. In July of the following year, they had a boy and named him Lee Martin Etchevers. They lost him in March 2001 due to an accident. In 1969, Frank sold his interest in the sheep back to the same person he brought it from. In August 1969, Frank and Berniece bought a 160-acre ranch on Doak Road in Chiloquin. It was their first real home and is still their home. Frank worked nights in the sawmill for three years and ran the ranch in the daytime. The mill shut down their night shift and Frank became a full-time farmer/rancher. He started with sheep because that was what he was used to, but in 1972 he sold the sheep and went into cows because they were easier to keep alive; there was a real problem with the sheep, dogs and coyotes. In, he bought 40 cows and started his dream of owning 300 cows. Keeping his own heifers and buying good bulls, Frank reached his goal in 1999. He ran them for a few years and then sold 200 head when the pasture he rented got to be too much for him to take care of; fixing fence and irrigating 16 miles from home. On May 4, 1998, Frank and Berniece bought another 160 acres across the road from their original piece. They raised cows and, for a time, raised quarter horses. It was a good life and Frank was doing what he loved. Frank leaves behind Berniece, his wife of 49 years; a grandson, Douglas Lee Etchevers, whom he raised; a granddaughter, Jasmine Ruth Etchevers; his twin sister, Marie Etchevers, and sister, Yvonne Nicolaurena; his youngest brother, Leon Etchevers; his sister-in-law, Della Harreguy and husband Arnold; sister-in-law, Marcine Vanderhoff; and numerous nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his brother, Jean Etchevers; sisters, Veronique Etchevers and Rosallie Lespade; his brother, Ferdinand Etchevers; his parents; his father-in-law, Erling Ericksen; his mother-in-law, Ruth Ericksen; and brother-in-law, Dale Vanderhoff. Frank came into this country owing $600. He lived his dream and was successful at it. He left this world not owing anyone even one dime. He did what he loved doing and everyone who knew him liked him and he left his family well cared for.
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