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Francis Northern
FRANCIS NORTHERN
Cedar Rapids
Francis Eliza Northern, 60, of Cedar Rapids, died Tuesday, June 23, 2015, at her home. Location of funeral services have changed and will be 1 p.m. Friday, July 3, at Mount Zion Baptist Church. Visitation will be from 5 to 8 p.m. Thursday, July 2, at Cedar Memorial Park Funeral Home. Burial: Cedar Memorial Park Cemetery.
Francis was born Aug. 18, 1954, in Vinton, Iowa, the third child and second daughter of Hansel and Ethel Wilson. She graduated from Washington High School in 1972 and briefly attended Kirkwood Community College. On Aug. 25, 1978, she was united in marriage to Freddie Northern in Cedar Rapids. From this union she had two sons, Ashton and Cody, both of Cedar Rapids.
Francis worked at Cryovac for 20 years, Norwood Souvenir for 10 years until the Flood of 2008, and presently was employed at Altofer Inc. until the time of her passing.
She was heavily involved in her community. Some of the organizations she was involved with were Cryovac Recreation, Cedar Rapids Big Brothers Big Sisters program for over 20 years, NAACP and Jefferson Booster Club, which in 2010 inducted her into its Hall of Fame. Francis also contributed to the Metro Football Association for over 31 years, where she acted as a cheerleading coach and later volunteered to run the concession stand. In 2011, she was named to the Metro Football Association Honor Roll for her many years of service. In 2015, she was a recipient of the Jefferson honorary diploma at its graduation ceremony.
Francis was a devoted wife, mother, sister and aunt.
Survivors include her husband, Freddie Northern; two sons, Ashton and Cody Northern; siblings, Theodore Wilson, Diantha (Johnny) Powell, Elsie Wilson, Horace Wilson, Gertrude Fitzpatrick, Tristain Munnings and Sharel Wilson; brothers- and sisters-in-law, Johnnie (Alfreda) Northern, Bobbie Pierce, Janie (Larry) Lewis, Leola Northern and Linda Nelson; and several aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her parents.
Memorial donations may be directed to Metro Youth Football or Jefferson High School in Francis' memory.
Online condolences may be directed to the family at www.cedarmemorial.com under Obituaries.
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