116 3rd St SE
Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52401
Obituaries
The Gazette publishes obituaries on a daily basis. Use the search field above to search for obituaries by name or keyword. Readers can submit an obituary or submit a milestone to The Gazette. The obituary must be submitted before 1 p.m. for publication on thegazette.com at 6 p.m. and in the daily edition the next day, with the exception of obituaries for Sunday publication, which must be submitted by 1 p.m. on Fridays.
Michael Franken
MICHAEL FRANKEN
Iowa City
Michael Edmund Franken, 51, Roeland Park, Kan., passed away at his home of a sudden heart attack on Sunday, Nov. 2, 2014. Mass of Christian Burial will be at 10 a.m. Friday, Nov. 7, at the St. Pius X Catholic Church, 5500 Woodson, Mission, KS 66202. The body will be cremated. Friends may call from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday at the church.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests contributions to Michael Franken Memorial Fund.
Mike was born June 5, 1963, in Tulsa, Okla. He grew up in Indianapolis, Ind., and attended Pike Township Schools. In 1979, he and his family moved to Iowa City and he graduated from West High School in 1981. Mike graduated from the University of Iowa, College of Business in 1986 and received his MBA from Rockhurst University in 1989. During his senior year in high school, Mike earned a bronze medal in Iowa's state wrestling tournament.
Mike married Jennifer Lamm in 1992 and they had two children, Nicholas and Kathryn, who were the light of his life.
A longtime resident of Kansas City, Mike held a diverse array of jobs ranging from golf ball retrieval to sales, before finding his niche in renovating apartment complexes for conversion to condominiums. His hobbies included golf, fishing, travel, sports (listening to the Royals on radio), Chiefs, Hawkeyes and especially spending time with his children.
Mike was preceded in death by his grandparents and infant sister, Katherine Franken.
Survivors include his son, Nick Franken; daughter, Katie Franken, both of Roeland Park, Kan.; parents, Tony and Penny Franken; brother, Ken Franken; sister, Jenny (Pat) Duffy; nephews, Tommy, Michael and Charlie Duffy, all of Iowa City; mother of his children, Jennifer Lamm Franken of Roeland Park; and aunts and uncles, Betsy and Duane Evans, Andrea Moyer and Ray and Jane Vanderhook.
He was the best father, son, brother and uncle a person could ask for.
He will also be missed by Snickers, his dog.
Online condolences may be expressed at www.amosfamily.com.
Arrangements by Amos Family Chapel of Shawnee, Kan.; (913) 631-5566.
Daily Newsletters