Franklin J Seidel

Franklin Joseph Seidel was born January 26, 1939 in Red Rock, Texas to Frank and Ida Seidel. He was the youngest of ten children. Frank was tall, lanky and very handsome. He died peacefully on November 21, 2021. Frank was preceded in death by his wife of 54 years, Marylyn Jo Benkowski Seidel, his grandson Joseph Lamar Grant, son-in-law Glen Grant; parents Frank and Ida Seidel, brothers Andrew Seidel, James Seidel, Verlin "Sam" Seidel, Thomas "Cotton" Seidel, Richard Seidel; sisters Christine Fey, Louise Waneck, and Catherine "Katy" Waneck. Frank is survived by his brother Bernard Seidel. Frank is also survived by all of his daughters including Dana Grant, grandson James "Jimmy" Grant and fiancé Sydney Glass, daughter Lisa Wrench and husband Richard Wrench, granddaughters Kerry and Laura Wrench, daughter Mary Lihou and husband Edward Lihou, grandchildren Robert, Adrienne, Derek and Gabriel Lihou, and daughter Sara Seidel. In his younger years, Frank moved to Houston, Texas after several years of living with various siblings where he learned the trade of welding. He then met the love of his life, Marylyn Benkowski. They married on November 30, 1963 in Houston and soon gave birth to three absolutely gorgeous daughters, loving them and also hoping for a son. They eventually built a home and settled in Cypress, Texas where they gave birth to their 4th and final stunning beauty, Sara Jo. Frank worked as a welder at Tex-Fab, less than a mile from his home. He worked long, knee bending hours. When money was tight, he would pick up extra shifts, work nights, or obtain second or third jobs to make ends meet. His daughters never missed a meal or a family camping vacation. Frank's idea of maintaining work-life balance was to maintain an amazing vegetable garden in his backyard. Together, he and Marylyn canned vegetables for the family to eat throughout the year. During particularly financially challenging years, Frank would display the full range of his skills by whittling amazing wood carvings and cultivating other memorable handmade gifts. To this day, those are the presents most cherished by his daughters and grandchildren. He was a gifted at drawing as well, especially caricatures. He helped with school projects; posters for student council and even drawing a caricature of his teacher, a nun, on the chalkboard that landed him a spot kneeling in the corner with his arms out for a long time. Frank was also a gifted musician. He loved playing his guitar, accordion and piano. He never knew how to read music yet volunteered to play his guitar during church service. Silent Night always had a polka vibe too! One could always see him sitting in a chair outside the house garage playing his guitar or accordion. We were told Frank was shy as a child but that was something he clearly outgrew as he got older. Everyone became an instant friend. Marylyn would send him to the grocery store for one or two items and he might be gone for an hour because he was carrying on a conversation with the cashier, a neighbor, or grocery bagger. At family events, you could find Frank enjoying a boisterous domino game of 42, playing with anyone who might pull up a chair. Frank and Marylyn loved to travel. Never by plane (he blames that on his daredevil best friend pilot, Lloyd Probst who scared the daylights out of him on a test ride years earlier). Instead, the family would pile up in the car at 4am in the middle of summer and take off for the coolness of the Colorado mountains. In the early lean years, the only refuge in the mountainous terrain against the rainy weather and lurking animals was a large tent which sometimes sprung leaks which Frank hurriedly fixed. Luckily, as his young daughters became teenagers, the family was able to upgrade to cabins. Not a moment too soon if you spoke with them back then. Frank and Marylyn's love of the serenity and beauty of scenic mountain ranges was passed on to his children. They all remember their hikes with Dad where he tried his hand at panning for gold in the icy streams, or the searches for unique rocks or driftwood that could be turned into art. He accompanied his daughters on several exciting whitewater rafting adventures. Fishing was always an enjoyable treat with Frank too, but thankfully, Marylyn brought along enough food to compensate for the fish that was never caught. Dad loved sightseeing too, but unfortunately, he tended to do some of it while driving on narrow and curvy mountain roads with steep drop-off points at almost every turn. The girls always knew Dad was gazing off into the yonder when they heard a shrill scream from Marylyn for Frank to, "keep your eyes on the road!" Frank taught all of his daughters how to drive. He would say "Let's stop by the store first" so he could get a beer to drink during this learning time over all the back roads around Cypress. (His daughters never understood why until they were teaching their own kids). The true blessings and wonders of life were entrenched in Frank's soul. Frank was always happy, easygoing, good natured and extremely giving. He found great joy in his family, and was especially proud of his grandchildren, often claiming they took after him. Thankfully, in a lot of ways they do! Frank's journey here on earth was too short, but he left a lasting impact on all of those who knew him. He is truly cherished and will be greatly missed. A visitation will be held on Wednesday, December 1, 2021 at Sam Houston Memorial Funeral Home in Huntsville, TX from 5:00 - 7:00 pm, with a rosary starting at 7:00. A funeral mass will be on Thursday, December 2, 2021 at St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church in Huntsville at 10:30 am. A private family burial will follow. Memorial condolences to the family may be made at www.shmfh.com.

Franklin J Seidel

January 26, 1939 - November 21, 2021