Frances Carroll Deiter was born on April 28th, 1910 in Assaria, Kansas, the first child of Frank and Bertha Carroll. She passed on to a much better life in a more beautiful place on November26th, 1985. Frances' life was never easy, but she faced every problem and trouble in her path with a smile and an optimism that never failed. Despite the rock strewn path she led, she was always thankful and happy for what blessings she had. Frances was a May afternoon picnic in a soft meadow with lots of sunshine and wildflowers. When she smiled, her whole face lit up and her eyes fairly sparkled with a brilliant inner light. When she was happy, everyone in her presence knew that all was right with the world. The only regret she ever had was that she didn't have naturally red hair like her two brothers had. Frances was an outstanding student in school. Because of her high grades, she was skipped forward in grades and graduated high school just a few days after her 17th birthday. In 1929, at the age of 19, she married George Gray, of Culver, Kansas. Seven years later, in 1936, she was faced with what become the first of her major challenges. George died leaving her a widow at age 26. Frances' extremely independent nature, which was to grow even stronger in the future, drove her forward. She packed her belongings and headed west, alone, to California seeking a new life for herself. While employed as a secretary for the Army Air Corps during the Second World War, she met and fell in love with Raymond Deiter, she was also a civilian employed in the war effort. In March of 1943, in Yuma, Arizona, she married for the second time. Before the war was over, Frances had borne two children, a son Zane, and a daughter, Jeanie. Her husband, Raymond, being from Colorado, moved his family back there to Crain after the war was over. Frances did not have an easy time maintaining a household in this primitive, almost frontier setting. Even considering all the handicaps she had to overcome, she brought two more children into this world, another daughter, Cheri, and another son, James. Her optimism toward her increasing responsibilities never faded. 1952 was an especially tragic year for Frances. The family had moved to Denver for economic reasons and soon afterwards she and the children were abandoned. For reasons known only to himself, Raymond decided that the family would be better off without him, and for all purposes, disappeared from the family forever. At this point, Frances, finding herself alone again, but with four small children and no financial means of support, could have easily given up. This beautiful woman would not quit. Sacrificing her entire personal life and everything most people consider important, she ensured that her children, whom she loved more dearly than anything else in the world, had the necessities of life and proper education. She proceeded to perform her duties as mother, surrogate father, and best friend to raise her children to become four successful and good adults. She viewed her troubles and bad times as opportunities and stepping stones used in her determination toward making herself and those around her stronger. during these extremely trying times, Frances never lost her optimistic and cherry attitude and never burdened others around her with her problems. She become extremely close friends with everyone she came in contact with. Her best friends were her co-workers, particularly at Loretta Heights College and the University of Denver. These were the closest of life-long friendships. Numerous young people, both students and friends of her children, "adopted" her as their own mother. The door to her heart was always wide open to anyone who needed a friend or who was experiencing troubled times. Trances had one of the largest and most loving families any person could ever hope for. Survivors include two sons, Zane Deiter and James Deiter, and two daughters, Jeanie Deiter and Cheri Sargent, all of Denver: two brothers, William G. Carroll of Minneapolis, Kansas and James L. Carroll of Assaria: and one grandchild, Tanya Thielen of Denver, Co.