Obituary of Opal "Fran" Frances Wenman Rogers

Opal Frances (Fran) Wenman was born January 30, 1925, in Harrisburg, Illinois, and died February 16, 2023. She was the third child of Charles and Lora Fulkerson Wenman. She graduated from University High School in Iowa City and the Iowa City Business College. Fran had many accomplishments in her life. She loved to read and felt that a library was essential in a growing town. Her Girl Scout troop decided to have some bake sales to earn money to start a library in Coralville, and many private book donations were accepted. On September 13, 1965 the library opened at 405 2nd Avenue, which was the Coralville City Hall. They grew fast and expanded to larger quarters at 806 5th Street in January, 1967, then built a new library at 1401 5th Street which opened in March 1987. Fran volunteered and worked at the Coralville Library from 1965 to 1991, when she retired. Fran and her husband Bob moved to Wellman, Iowa in 1986. She worked at the Wellman Public Library until retiring in 2009. She enjoyed sewing and quilting, Alpha Club, church activities, jigsaw puzzles, walking, reading, gardening, volunteering with hospice, and hosting family gatherings. She loved playing cards and board games. Fran was a beautiful soul whose kindness, grace, and mercy will be long remembered by all who knew her. In 1947 she married Robert Rogers at the Little Brown Church in Nashua, Iowa. She is survived by five children: Karen Ackerman (Bill), Debbie, Carole, Julie, and Teri Rogers; eight grandchildren: Allison Buschy (Doug), Anne Ackerman, Clint Ackerman, Chris Fry, Sara Fry (Isaiah Matthews), Carrie Evans (Chris), Tony Wai, and Jordan Rogers; eleven great-grandchildren: Abbey and Dade Buschy, Wyatt and Kolt Ackerman, Rowa Anderson, Will, Dylan, Tom, Joe, and Matt Evans, David Davis, brother Richard Wenman (Mary), and brother-in-law John Rogers. She was preceded in death by her husband Bob, granddaughter-in-law Beth Shapcott Fry, grandchild Javon Stovall, great-grandchild Kindrey Ackerman, and siblings Roy Wenman, Laverne Flansburg, Stasha Jones, Art Wenman, Jim Wenman, Lynn Wenman, Della Hartvigsen, Bob Wenman, Dale, Bonnie, Donnie, Lloyd, and Floyd Wenman. Visitation will be at Parkview Church, 15 Foster Road, Iowa City, Iowa on Tuesday, February 21, 2023, at 1:30 pm, with services beginning at 2:00 pm. Burial will be at Oak Hill Cemetery in Coralville following the service.