Frank Usdrowski, 88

Our loving husband, father, grandfather and friend passed away at home Dec. 9, 2022. Frank was born Jan. 30, 1934, in Chicago, Ill., to Lillian Kalinowski and Frank G. Usdrowski, he was the eldest of their three children. His sisters, Dorothy and Carol, followed and completed the family.

Frank grew up doing many different jobs, including farming, being a caddy and collecting golf balls to sell to golfers just to earn money for the family. He graduated high school from Lane Tech with an apprenticeship in printing and went to work in the print shops in Chicago. He married Lana Drayer in 1953, and they had four children, Tony, Laurie, Mike and Lisa. In 1969, he met and married Valerie Pokorni in Chicago. They came out West for their honeymoon and fell in love with Idaho. They went back to Chicago, planned, and packed up everything and moved out to Idaho in 1971. They have resided on the family farm in Squaw Bay ever since and raised their two children, Michele and Dan, there.

Frank worked at the Spokesman-Review for just shy of 25 years in the composing room putting the paper together. He retired as a night foreman in 1995. He was able to enjoy 27 years of fishing, cutting wood, going to grandkids' sporting events and going shopping with Val on Wednesdays. He was a regular fixture touring the meat department at Fred Myer looking for the best deal and talking to everyone or anyone who would listen. Frank was the happiest either sitting on his tractor getting wood, throwing an L&S popper on Lake X, or sitting on the porch looking at a full woodshed and hills of split wood around the house.

He is survived by his wife, Val, at home on the farm, his sister, Carol, in Chicago, his six children and spouses, multiple grandchildren and even great-grandchildren, as well as numerous nieces and nephews.

There will be a celebration of life at 3 p.m. Tuesday, July 18, 2023, at Yates Funeral Home, 373 E. Hayden Ave. Hayden, ID. There will be a reception following to allow everyone to celebrate this wonderful man.

Please visit Frank’s online memorial and sign his guestbook at www.yatesfuneralhomes.com.