Marie Frakes

Marie J. Frakes was born on September 28, 1925 to John and Willemina (Hendriks) Van Hunnick in Sioux County, Iowa. She married Marion E. Frakes on April 6, 1947, at the First Presbyterian Church in Luverne, Minnesota. They built their first home that same year which was the beginning of a lifelong career building 128 homes in Luverne and many commercial projects in Rock County and surrounds. She earned a real estate license in 1969 and was a broker for Frakes Realty for 37 years. She retired in 2008. Marie loved planning, building, and selling residential and commercial real estate. It was her work and her hobby. She liked to wear hats and came to be known as the real estate gal who wears a hat.

Marie became a member of First Presbyterian Church in 1947 and served as a deacon, taught Sunday school, vacation Bible school, and baked lots of goodies for bake sales, bazaars, etc. Marie was also active in her community as a board member of the First Mother’s Club (a substitute for PTA), a Boy Scout Den Mother and Girl Scout camp helper. She was a charter member of Luverne’s first Garden Club called the Moccasins. She had a passion for growing and arranging flowers. She was a civic minded person and an active volunteer and team member for the get-out-to-vote for the new school. She was a director on the Luverne Chamber of Commerce Board for seven years. At the age of 70, Marie had her first airplane ride to Boston where her daughter lived. She traveled to the Bahamas, London, Paris, Amsterdam, Madrid, the Grand Canyon and Hawaii with her children and considered travel a great bit of education.

On Tuesday, September 1, 2026, Marie passed away at the Sunset Hospice Cottage in Worthington, Minnesota at the age of 100 years, 11 months and four days.

Marie is survived by her son, Dr. Michael J. Frakes, Pharm.D. and his wife Julie of New Brighton, Minnesota; three grandchildren, Nicole Frakes of Colorado, Sarah (Ryan) Muhlbauer of Orono, Minnesota, and Matthew (Sara) Frakes of Edina, Minnesota; a great-grandson, Bode (Matt & Sara) Frakes; a sister, Veronica Doherty of Adrian, Minnesota; and a number of nieces and nephews, and grandnieces and grandnephews. She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Marion Frakes in 2000; her daughter, Laura Frakes, BA, MBA, JD in 2006; her son, Dr. Gary D. Frakes, DVM in 2017; two sisters, Wilma Reitsma and Donna Pluym; and a brother, Clayton Van Hunnick of Lake Park, Iowa.