Franklin "Frank" E. White

Franklin “Frank” E. White, 88, passed away Sept. 10 at Franciscan Health Hospital in Lafayette.

Frank was born in Yates Center, Kansas, on June 11, 1937. He was the son of the late Harry and Helen (Liptrap) White. After graduating from high school in Benton County (Ind.), Frank served in the U.S. Army.

He enjoyed being a long-haul truck driver, which allowed him to see much of the western United States. His passion for semi trucks extended to collecting model trucks. He also had a passion for model railroads and spent many hours enjoying them in his railroad layout room.

It was while driving a semi in Louisiana that Frank rescued a beautiful black cat, which he named Arabila in honor of the town where Frank found her. Arabila was a devoted companion for many years during his driving career and at home.

Frank also enjoyed Western movies, reading and taking family and friends to dinners at TC’s in Battle Ground and Stookey’s in Thorntown. These dinners were a great time to catch up on family news and to have a good laugh or two. His sense of humor extended to the many waitresses who served him over the years. When asked how his dinner was, Frank would say “terrible but I can’t stop eating it.”

Ironically, he met his last wife while she was waitressing at Mr. Steak in Lafayette. Mary Freitag was a devoted companion to Frank for 35 years.

In addition to Mary, Frank is survived by his daughters Michelle Shafer of Oxford, Ind., and Debra Strom (Doug) of Texas, son Mike (Cindy) White of Ohio; stepchildren Kenny (Lisa) Thompson of Lafayette and Lisa (Scott) Jackson of Pickett, Wis. He is also survived by 10 grandchildren, numerous great-grandchildren and beloved nieces and nephews.

Frank was preceded in death by his parents, brothers Larry and Wayne White and sisters Janice and Barbara and stepson Mike Thompson.

Visitation will be held Sept. 20 from 4-6 p.m. at Hahn-Groeber Funeral Home in Lafayette. There will be no funeral, and burial will be at a later date. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the American Cancer Society. Hahn-Groeber Funeral Home is honored to serve the White family. Please leave memories and condolences at hahngroeberfuneralhome.com