Frankie

Frances Ann McDonald Trigg

February 14, 1942 to May 3, 2016

As many of you know, Frankie was one of six sisters, four of whom survived her. Ill health and distance made it impossible for all of them to join us here today, but I want to share some of their memories of Frankie on behalf of her sisters:

From our sister Ruth McDonald Litke, who lives in St. Cloud, Minnesota:

"Frances Ann McDonald was born on Valentine's Day, February 14, 1942. I don't remember ever hearing her called anything but Frankie. Supposedly, I offered to trade her off for a small dog that day.

Frankie is five years younger than me. Even though she had some major health problems, I never expected her to leave me. She was so full of life and concern for others.

After mom died in 2000, Frankie became the family switchboard. She was the sister who was all heart.

She adored her grandchildren. D.J. and K.A. will forever carry not only her genes, but the profound influence she had on their lives.

Frankie and I didn't share similar personalities. I was the stoic, practical older sister. She was the free spirit who loved the outrageous and did things in multiples. If she liked something, she would buy 2 or 3 of the same thing.

Frankie was not afraid to say exactly what she was thinking. In fact, Don Trigg had a t-shirt imprinted with the words "WHO CARE WHAT FRANKIE SAY!" We were with Don and Frankie on winter vacation on Lake Mead. It was the day BEFORE her 62nd birthday. She decided to purchase a second passport card so we didn't always have to borrow Don's card when going in and out of the gate. The woman in the booth flatly refused to sell her a card until the next day. You can imagine the conversation that took place.

Frankie became a widow at age 63 and she continued to work until she was 70. She loved the Denver Broncos, trail riding with ATVs and her friends, singing with Mike and the choir group and John Denver music.

Being a middle sister allowed Frankie to form close bonds with both the older and younger siblings. The sisters all have special memories to share."

From our sister Janet McDonald O'Keeffe, who lives in Hastings, Nebraska:

"I was shopping with Frankie once and we stopped outside a store window with a pair of pink cowboy boots in the window. Just as I was thinking how ugly they were, Frankie chimed in with "aren't they just beautiful?"

Frankie and I had more road trips planned. She had so much energy and enthusiasm. One morning in a motel in Gallup during a blizzard I heard her on the phone with the sheriff saying, "I want to speak to someone who has been on the road....not to a person who just heard about conditions." She was totally one in a million. There is a hole in my soul where Frankie resided. I will miss her forever.

From our sister Evelyn McDonald Paulling, who lives in Leesburg, Florida:

"I remember Frankie intentionally choosing "Ya-Ya" as her "Grandparent" name. She told me it was the Greek version for affection for the older family relative such as I'm "Nana". I always loved it."

Posthumously, from my sister Susan McDonald Muir, who passed away in 2004:

"Welcome Home Sis. Remember that crazy time when we hitchhiked home to Minnesota together for a family reunion. Can you believe we did that?"

I am Marion, the youngest of the McDonald sisters. My memories of Frankie are mainly from when I lived with her part of the year in Jacksonville, Florida, so that I wouldn't have to change schools twice a year while our parents spent the winter in Florida. At the time Frankie was working two full-time jobs, and sharing a mobile home with a roommate and two high-strung poodles, but she still made time and space for me.

Nobody loved dogs more than Frankie, all the way from her first dog, Shellie, a Pekinese puppy, who became my best friend, to Floydie, Susie's enormous Newfoundland, whom Frankie adopted when Susie could no longer care for her.

Frankie had an enormous heart and never lived for anything but love. I remember sitting with Susie, crying her eyes out when she read that Frankie was moving to Denver to marry Don Trigg. 15 years later, she surprised us again by remarrying Don on their anniversary.

One of my best memories of Frankie is from a family reunion in Albuquerque. We had gone to get some groceries but had trouble crossing a busy street. We both stepped boldly into the crosswalk, staring down any drivers who might have considered pushing their luck. "They have no idea who they're dealing with!" Frankie snapped. Frankie never did anything by half measures.