Frank Midkiff
1932 - 2016
Obituary
Franklin R. Midkiff, born Oct. 24,
1932, passed away on Sunday (March 6, 2016) in his home in North
Newton of a heart attack.
Frank was born in Chelyan, West
Virginia, to Samuel and Gertrude (Burger) Midkiff, but moved to South
Charleston, West Virginia, at the age of two where he grew up as the
youngest of five children. He began a newspaper route at the age of
11 that continued for eight years, then graduated from South
Charleston High School. He went on to get his degree in Petroleum
Engineering from West Virginia University at Morgantown, West
Virginia, in 1955.
He began his career working for
Magnolia Oil Co. in El Dorado where he met the love of his life,
Emmalyne ""Emmy"" Schmidt, and they were married
on Sept. 21, 1957, setting up their first home in Electra, Texas.
Frank had been drafted into the military requiring him to spend six
months in El Paso, Texas, in 1956. In 1961, he spent a year with the
Texas National Guard in the 49th Armored Division at Leesville,
Louisiana, during the Berlin Crisis and ended with the rank of
Captain.
He returned to work for Magnolia Oil in
Texas and New Mexico, then several different companies in West
Virginia, Kentucky, Kansas and Pennsylvania. His final 20 years were
with Costal Oil and Gas in Colorado and Texas.
During their life together, Frank &
Emmy had three children: Paul (1961), Susan (1964) and Kevin (1966),
each born in a different state, yet all three graduated from the same
high school in Littleton, Colorado. Brad Tollefson joined the family
in the late 1970s. Frank was passionate about his faith, volunteer
work, camping with his boys, reading, listening to music and
traveling.
Frank is survived by his wife, Emmy of
the home; his son Paul Midkiff of Jamestown, Colorado; daughter Susan
(Don) Comi of Spokane, Washington; son Kevin (Teresa) Midkiff of
Calgary, Alberta, Canada; Brad Tollefson of Moab, Utah; their
grandchildren-Samuel Comi, Sarah (Andrew) Barnes, Matthew (Dana)
Comi, Hannah Comi, William Midkiff, Samuel Midkiff, Holly Midkiff,
Nicole Dobson, Matthew Dobson; and many nieces and nephews.
Frank is preceded in death by his
parents-Samuel & Gertrude Midkiff; and his siblings-Oswald
Midkiff, Mary Weatherholt, Charles Midkiff and William Midkiff.
Visitation with the family will be at
Broadway Colonial Funeral Home in Newton on Thursday (March 10, 2016)
from 6 to 7:30 p.m; friends may call at the funeral home between 1
p.m. and 8 p.m. on Thursday.
The burial is at Burns Mennonite
Cemetery in Burns on Friday (March 11, 2016) at 10:30 a.m. The
memorial service is at Bethel College Mennonite Church, North Newton
on Friday at 1:30 p.m.
Memorials have been established with
the Kauffman Museum or Bethel College Mennonite Church. Contributions
may be sent to Broadway Colonial Funeral Home, 120 E. Broadway,
Newton, KS 67114.
Condolences may be left at
www.broadwaycolonialfh.com.
