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OBITUARY
Franklin D. Schlatter
July 22, 1933 - April 1, 2011
A funeral service is
scheduled for 2 p.m., Monday, April 4,
2011, at La Grone Funeral Chapel for
Franklin D. Schlatter, 77, who passed
away Friday, April 1, 2011, at Roswell
Regional Hospital. Family will greet
friends at LaGrone Funeral Chapel,
today, Sunday, April 3, 2011, from 3 PM
to 5 PM. .
Frank was born in Peoria, Illinois on
July 22, 1933, to Bernard and Lucille,
who preceded him in death. He was also
preceded in death by his son, Richard
Allen Schlatter, and son David’s wife,
Christine Schlatter.
Frank married Carole Rhodes on August
16, 1959, in Peoria. She survives him at
the family home. He is also survived by
his first son, David of Aurora, Colorado
and his siblings Robert B. (Benny), Vera
Tyler, Ed and his wife Pat, and Roger;
as well as his brother-in-law, Steve
Rhodes and wife Terry, sister-in-law
Beth Rhodes, nieces Summer Rhodes
Ferreira and husband Kurt, Evelyn
Schlatter, Jennifer Schlatter, Annette
Tyler, Jeaninne Tyler, and nephews Sky
Rhodes and wife Megan, Jimmy Schlatter,
John Schlatter and Jeffery Schlatter and
wife Donna. He is also survived by
grandchildren Lindsay Pechar and Tailor
Sterner, and two great-grandchildren.
Frank and Carole moved to Roswell where
Frank began a thirty-four year teaching
career, twenty-five of those at Roswell
High School, retiring in 1993. He was
known as an innovative and dedicated
teacher of English for 34 years and is
remembered and loved by numerous
students, many of whom still live in
Roswell.
His service to the field of English
included serving as a founding member of
the New Mexico Council of Teachers of
English, he was elected board member of
the National Council of Teachers of
English and editor of their newsletter.
He was also a charter member of the
National Board for Professional Teaching
Standards from 1981-1992. At the time of
his death he held the position of
president of the Retired Teachers of
Roswell.
Frank has also been a long-time
supporter of the Roswell Community
Little Theatre having served as board
president for at least six terms. He
directed many plays, and acted in, wrote
and produced others, often joined by his
wife and sons through the years and was
scheduled to direct the upcoming play,
Leading Ladies. He served as Historian
keeping the history and all of the
scrapbooks of the organization.
After high school Frank joined the Army
and served in Heidelberg, Germany in the
33rd Army Band. He was instrumental in
maintaining long-term friendships where
biannual reunions were held since 1997.
One of his closest Band member friends
was Dr. Roger Dickerson, and the two of
them started the Pecos Valley Jazz &
Arts Festival which continues as the
Roswell Jazz Festival. Roger, who lives
in New Orleans, came to Roswell at the
invitation of Frank and Carole during
the aftermath of hurricane Katrina.
It was during Frank’s Army service
that he was introduced to the Baha’i
Faith in 1957. Upon returning to Peoria,
he met and married his wife Carole, a
Baha’i. Frank’s loyalty and service
to the Faith is legendary. He was named
the first Hand-of-the-Cause and
Secretary General by the Third Guardian
Joel B. Marangella, whose most recent
tribute follows:
And dear Frank, as one who so
faithfully, untiringly and magnificently
labored for half a century in steadfast
support of and fidelity to the Covenant
of Baha'u'llah and in his untiring
defense of the sacred, and immutable
provisions of the divinely conceived
Will and Testament penned by the Center
of that Covenant, he has moreover most
certainly been lovingly welcomed and
warmly embraced by both Baha'u'llah and
Abdu'l Baha.
Friends and family may give their
condolences on line at:
www.lagronefuneralchapels.com
Arrangements are under the direction of
LaGrone Funeral Chapel.
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