Brenda Louise FranzenGoessel, KS

Brenda Louise Franzen was born to Eugene and Doris (Darling) Franzen on January 15, 1963, at Bethesda Hospital in Goessel, Kansas. Dean remembers seeing his new sister for the first time as someone held her up behind a big window on the east side of the hospital. Brenda joined her brothers Dean and Rodney to complete their family.

Brenda attended Goessel schools and graduated with the class of 1981. She also attended Hesston College, graduating with an Associates Degree in early childhood education.

Brenda lived at the “home place” all of her life. She spent time with and cared for both of her parents. Adventures they took included road trips to California, while exploring the original Route 66. While in California, they visited family. She enjoyed visiting with all of her cousins on both sides of the family and she made it a point to attend all family gatherings. She also worked very hard on putting together a Darling reunion, getting many people from near and far together!

She loved genealogy and was constantly working to find yet another generation on both sides of the family. She was excited last week to find out that there was a grandfather four generations back that was a sheriff with a wooden leg in Kentucky – his brother, also a Sudduth, was a deputy sheriff. She shared this new information with Rod and Dean. Brenda liked to travel to obscure grave sites as a part of her love for genealogy and traveled as far as Oklahoma to find these special family sites. She found it important to honor her family by doing these things. Nancy Franzen was often a partner in cleaning gravestones and trying to find someone to translate headstones in German. Brenda tracked down seven generations of her mother’s family, clear back to the Mayflower.

Brenda spent her life in service to others by working at Bethesda Home, following in her mother’s footsteps and they both worked at Bethesda for a number of years together. Brenda worked at Bethesda in the kitchen for over 42 years. She spent nights in the “apartment” at Bethesda in the winter when weather was threatening as her family was always worried about the trips back and forth. As she got older, she wanted to get another four-wheel drive vehicle so she could “get home to her critters” as she knew they needed care when she was gone. She was reliable, honest, and liked to do her job without any drama.

Brenda was a loving caregiver to her parents. Her mother suffered a stroke in 2001 and went home to be with the Lord in 2002. Brenda continued to care for her father, taking him to many doctors appointments and dealing with the issues and paperwork that comes with aging. Her father went home to be with the Lord three days after his birthday in 2011. Both of these losses were incredibly difficult for her.

Brenda loved her nieces and nephews very much. While Brenda was very frugal, if she saw something fun for one of the nieces or nephews, she loved getting the item as a special present. Adam recalls that he had to take the ACT test on a Saturday and Aunt Brenda covered for him and everyone (at that time) couldn’t believe she covered for him as she didn’t cover shifts for others on her day off. Her nieces and nephews remember playing board games at her house and watching the ball drop on TV on New Year’s Eve.

A very special memory of Aunt Brenda for her nieces and nephews is that each one of them never had a reason to dread the “family history project” that Mr. Schmidt-Tieszen gave to all seniors. Aunt Brenda had so much information on family history that it helped each of them get through this project easily!

Embroidery work with her mom was something Brenda enjoyed and they made quilts and throws for every niece and nephew – items that are treasured for the love that was put into them.

Brenda loved her dog Lucy, and her cats. Her nieces and nephews remember her cat “Stinky.” Her love for her animals was amazing and she recently grieved the loss of Lucy and one of her cats, Boo Boo. Other cats were Wally, Bootsy, and Cheeto. Fun names and special animals for her – she loved them very much.

Rod and Ae were terrific in helping Brenda and helped make improvements to the house. Rod mowed, along with some other terrific neighbors and Rod’s friends who helped out by mowing ditches, getting trees off the house, hooking up rural water, etc. Alexanderwohl Mennonite Church, where Brenda was baptized as a believer, also came out and helped clean up on two different “love your neighbor” days. We are so grateful for that love shown to Brenda!

Brenda continued living in the “home place” after her parents went home to Heaven. Living alone in the country wasn’t easy but she enjoyed her independence and didn’t want to “live in town.”

Unexpectedly, Brenda went home to be with her parents and Jesus on June 9, 2026. She is survived by her brother Dean Franzen and wife Kristine, and her brother Rodney Franzen and his wife Ae Meyers. She is also survived by her nephew Adam Franzen and his wife Heather, her nephew Kevin Franzen and his wife Sherry, her niece Darcy Price and her husband Andrew, and her niece, Hannah Franzen. Also surviving her are her great nephews Elliott Franzen, Josiah Franzen, and Asher Price, and her great nieces, Elizabeth Price, Callie Franzen, and Violet Price. She is also survived by dear cousins on both sides of her family. Her family was very important to her – while she has left an empty place in our hearts, we rejoice that she is at HOME.

Celebration of Life will be 10:00 a.m. Saturday, June 20, 2026 at Bethesda Home in Goessel.  Committal service will be held at Alexanderwohl Church cemetery 9:00 a.m. on Saturday, June 20, 2026 rural Goessel.  Memorials to The Cat House in care of Jost Funeral Home P.O. Box 266 Hillsboro, KS 67063.  Online condolences at www.jostfuneralhome.com