Frances R. Dunn, age 101, of Ottawa, Kan., passed away Thursday, June 18, 2009, at the Ottawa Retirement Village.

She was born Sept. 10, 1907 in Hayes Township on the family farm north of Ottawa, Kan., the daughter of John Martin and Esther Ann (Bride-Shinn) Conard.

Her father established Conard Airfield as an emergency landing of air mail flights enroute from Kansas City to Wichita. The airfield evolved into a commercial field and naval training flight center. Frances recalled her first airplane ride on her sister’s lap in 1919.

Early experiences including boarding the train at Woodlief Station for summers at Ransom, Ill., with Conard grandparents, riding in the family Stoddard-Dayton — the family automobile. During the hot summers of 1910-1920s, she helped her parents with the commercial enterprise at Conard Park on Tauy Creek.

She attended Fairmount Grade School and graduated from Ottawa High School. She attended Ottawa University and graduated from the Kansas State Agricultural College earning a bachelor’s of science degree in home economics in 1930. She was a member of the Phi Omega Pi Sorority at K-State.

After teaching high school home economics at Colony, she returned to K-State, earning a master’s degree in 1934. Her dietetic internship was at Michael Reese Hospital in Chicago, Ill., at the time of the 1933 World’s Fair. She taught home economics and dietetics at Cottey College in Neveda, Mo. She took a faculty position at Washington State College in Pullman, Wash., in 1937.

While at Washington State, she met fellow faculty member Laraine Ernest Dunn, whom she married on July 19, 1941, in Pullman, Wash. They shared more than 47 years of marriage.

Professional moves took the couple to the University of Minnesota in the twin cities, Texas A& M in Bryan, Texas, and the University of Nevada at Reno, Nev. After their career in higher education, retirement took the couple full-time to the Conard family farm in Franklin County.

Mrs. Dunn was a member of the Westminster Presbyterian Church in Ottawa, where she enjoyed the Women Circles and Builders. Participation in other community organizations included Happy Homemakers EHU; Fairmount Birthday Club, Silver Leaf 4-H Club, and Town and Country 4-H Club: Adult Leader — teaching foods and clothing; and DeMolay Mothers.

Life memberships included the Ottawa University Women’s Education Society and the Franklin County Historical Society.  She served many years as a docent at the Dietrich Cabin.

She was especially proud to be a 43-year member of the General Edward Hand Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution — attending the national conventions in Washington D. C. and serving as the local regent.

 She enjoyed traveling nationally and internationally with the Ottawa University Choir.

Frances is survived by two sons, James C. Dunn and his wife, Nancy, of Lawrence, Kan., and Roy C. Dunn and his wife, Deborah, of Ottawa, Kan.; two grandchildren, Kristi Rebecca Hubbard and her husband, Ben, of Carbondale, Kan., and Sara Jane Hornbuckle and her husband, Scott, of Ottawa, Kan.; three great-grandchildren, Brent Austin, Brittny Sky and Cross Sterling Hornbuckle.

Mrs. Dunn was preceded in death by her parents; her husband; and her sister, Alberta Belinda DeShazer.

A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. Wednesday, June 24, 2009 at the Lamb-Roberts Funeral Home, 325 S. Hickory, Ottawa. Inurnment will be held at a later date at the Highland Cemetery in Ottawa. The family will receive friends after the memorial service at the funeral home.

Memorial contributions may be made to Franklin County Historical Society, General Edward Hand Chapter, D.A.R. or Westminster Presbyterian Church and may be sent to the Lamb-Roberts Funeral Home, P.O. Box 14, Ottawa KS 66067.

Online condolences may be shared with the Dunn family at www.lamb-roberts.com.

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