Frances Rae Abbott

Frances Rae Abbott was born November 8th, 1927 in Crawford County, Iowa. Her parents were Fanchon and Jessie Quick. Frances married James Melvin “Spike” Abbott in 1946 and to this union one son and three daughters were born. They resided in Dow City, Iowa for nearly eighteen years (there were a couple of those years that they lived in Storm Lake, Iowa.) In 1963, they moved to Council Bluffs, Iowa where they lived for almost forty years. Her husband passed away in 2001 and in 2003 she moved to Westboro, Missouri, where she lived with her daughter and husband, Leila and Jim Hodge. She had Parkinsons and needed a lot of care for the last few years. In July of 2014, she moved to Elm Heights Nursing Home where she lived until she passed away on Saturday, May 2nd, 2015.
She was an active member of the Community of Christ Church and was baptized by emersion at the age of thirteen. Her family went back seven generations to the time when the Church was first founded and she was very happy to become a member in the body of Christ.
During their time in Dow City, she was in charge of some of the Children’s Programs, Leader of the Young Women’s Department for one year, and was in the choir. The fact that God granted her the privilege of living to witness some of the eighth and ninth generations of her family being called to serve God through the offices of the Priesthood and the baptism of the children who reached the age of accountability in the tenth generation - as well as babies being brought to the Elders for a blessing - made her most grateful and happy.
After moving to the ‘Bluffs, she helped with Bible School and special projects. At age thirty-six, she went to work for Mutual of Omaha as a Claims Analyst for a total of twenty-four years. After retirement, she and her spouse volunteered at the Church Thrift Store and as Cook’s Helpers at the Church Camps held for the youth. They especially enjoyed doing these services. Other accomplishments that made her happy were having a home that welcomed all guests, helping her spouse raise their four children, and staying married (it was not all roses, but it was worth it,) for fifty-five years until death.
She was preceded in death by her husband James “Spike,”; her son Tom; her parents; her sister Jean; brother-in-law Ward; and all of her spouse’s immediate family except his sister-in-law Ethel. She is also survived by her three daughters and their spouses: Sandra and husband Mike; Leila and husband Jim; and Cheryl and husband Terry; daughter-in-law Tina and her husband, Don; 18 grandchildren; 25 great-grandchildren; 5 great-great-grandchildren (with one on the way,) numerous nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Community of Christ Church in Shenandoah, Iowa.