September 29, 1928 - October 25, 2020
Frances Nadine Buller Schultz passed away on October 25. Her funeral will be at the Memorial Park Cemetery Mausoleum Chapel on Thursday, October 29, at 2:00 p.m., with Father Mark Harris officiating. Arrangements are by Anderson-Burris Funeral Home, and burial will follow at Memorial Park Cemetery. Visitation will be held from 6:00-7:00 pm on Wednesday, October 28, 2020 at the funeral home.
Frances (aka Fritz to friends) was born on September 29, 1928, on the family farm 4 miles north of Waka, Texas. Her parents were Dave and Sarah Kroeker Buller. She grew up in a lively (ornery) household with 7 sisters and 3 brothers (that included using the chicken coup roof for a slide). After milking cows and chores in the early morning, they would run to the bus (whose driver she fondly remembered as patiently waiting at the mailbox). Frances received her elementary education in the Waka school system. Her family later moved to Cleo Springs, Oklahoma. Her parents felt a Christian education was important, and Frances attended Oklahoma Bible Academy (OBA), in Meno, Oklahoma, graduating in 1946.
For five years after graduating, Frances assisted families, living with them cooking, cleaning, and helping raise their children. In Pond Creek, Ollie Wiens mentored her kitchen skills, honing Frances’ well-known pie making, gravy, and fried chicken recipes. The family became lifelong friends and loved ones.
At OBA, Frances met her husband of 63 years, Melvin Schultz, whom she married on May 29, 1951, after a “period of courting.” The wedding ceremony was held at the Saron Mennonite Church in Orienta, OK, with Rev. Albert Janzen officiating. Frances and Melvin settled in Enid where Frances worked as a medical assistant in a local doctor’s office, before raising their family of three children.
Frances lived her life with the values of nurture, care, and service to God and others. Life was full of dedication, hard work, good cooking, and family and church activities. She managed a large garden, canning every summer, cared for Melvin’s father and worked together with his mother, who lived next door. Frances supported her children in school and sports activities. She served in the Cleveland Grade School PTA (where she was famous for her homemade glazed bran donuts). In the neighborhood, she was the unofficially appointed mom with cookies, treats, and drinks available on call. Frances and Melvin spent their weekends and bits of spare time with long-time family friends, their siblings and families, in large and small gatherings full of good food, spirited jokes, laughter, serious conversations (“visiting”), and games. She was open to trying just about anything once (including hats), was a lot of fun, and a neat goofy person. Her kitchen was open for drop-ins (a depression-era value her mother engendered), and she was especially adept at putting meals and desserts on the table (and into lunches) at short notice.
Frances accepted Jesus Christ at the age of 9 years old and was baptized. Her family was active members at Grace Mennonite Church, attending every time the doors were open, at least on Wednesday and Sunday. Frances served many years on the Kitchen Committee, was part of Women in Mission gatherings and projects, sang alto in the choir, and made pies for the annual Oklahoma Mennonite Central Committee sale (with her tart lemon pies being a favorite). Grace Mennonite provided a rich sense of community and many lifelong friendships with couples and families, with whom Frances and Melvin shared strong faith, spiritual beliefs, worship, dedication to service, and prayer. Frances’ capacity to hold onto quietly sharing life span passages, including good memories and hard times have been passed on to the next generations.
When their children were in middle school, Frances worked for Enid families cleaning homes. In each workplace she created personal connections with these families, enriching mutual warm relationships that went beyond the scope of cleaning. She worked into retirement age (a bit too long) and enjoyed occasional trips with Melvin, their siblings and spouses.
Frances was proud of her children and grandchildren. She took special joy in spending time with her grandson, Quinton, playing games and interacting as he grew up. She participated in both her grandsons’ sport and school activities.
In the last 12 years of life, Frances navigated the varied waves of Alzheimer’s disease and aging, striving to maintain the dignity, integrity, resilience, and determination that was melded in her family’s Texas panhandle dust bowl days.
Frances is survived by: her daughter Sandra Kay Gragg and husband, Randy, of Enid, Jana Lee Neufeld and husband, Larry, of Oklahoma City; two grandsons, Quinton Gragg of Enid and Jacob Neufeld of Oklahoma City; Her son, David Dale Schultz, who was in the US Army, disappeared in 1976, a suffering that turned her hair gray. She is also survived by two sisters, Josie Slagell of Hydro, OK, Ruby Regier of Cleo Springs, OK, many nieces and nephews, and brother and sister-in-law Paul and Myrtle Schultz, of Richey, MT.
Frances was preceded in death by her husband, their parents, 2 sisters who died in infancy/toddlerhood (Alvina and Delores), 5 sisters (Ida Rempel, Evelyn Unruh, Emily Koehn, Clarine Johnson, Albua May Logan), 3 brothers (Vernon, Ralph, and Eldo Buller) and their spouses, and sisters-in-law (Edna Schultz and Ruth Wrich and spouse).
Memorials may be made in prayers for goodness and human connections or to Mennonite Central Committee Canning.
Condolences can be made to the family online at Andersonburris.com. Honored to be recognized nationally, the past 6 years, for the Pursuit of Excellence award. Because family matters, let us take care of yours. We are proud to own the only crematory in Garfield county and ensure your loved one receives the care and respect they deserve while never leaving our care. Visit 3002 N. Van Buren, Enid, OK 73703. Call: (580) 233-2700.
Obituaries are posted, in part, due to the generosity of The Commons.
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