Lothair William Frandsen

Lothair William "L.W." Frandsen, 88, of Lava Hot Springs, Idaho, passed away Monday, October 12, 2020, in his home with his loving family by his side.

A celebration of life service will be held at 2 pm Saturday October 17, 2020, at Wilks Funeral Home 211 W. Chubbuck Road, Chubbuck, ID 83202, followed by light refreshments in the adjoining reception room. You may also join the service via webcast available on the Wilks Funeral Home website.

Lothair William Frandsen was born on June 20, 1932, in Firth, Idaho, to Burke and Beecie Frandsen. He was one of twelve children. He is survived by his devoted wife of 43 years, Iris Frandsen (nee Hansen), his six children, Michael William Frandsen, Miles Lothair Frandsen and his wife Patty, Dinna Ann Quinn and her husband Ed, Rickey Lane Frandsen and his wife Cheryl, Angileen Kaye Williams and her husband Geoffrey, and Jason Luke Frandsen, as well as four step-children, Cynthia Ekstrom, Burke Ekstrom and his wife Trina, Julie Rasmussen and her husband Shane, and Richard Ekstrom and his wife Danielle.

Combined 23 grandchildren, 30 great grandchildren, and two great great grandchildren.

Lothair attended school only to the 8th grade. He received a certificate of completion even though he only attended three months of his 8th grade year. His early working life began at age six with him dragging lumber with his horse for a railroad building contract with his father. He grew up on a farm that grew a variety of fruits and vegetables that they would sell, or as dad would say, peddling door to door. Besides fruits and vegetables, they also raised farm animals. In his teenage years, he was a bull rider for the local rodeos, but never got paid. He just did it for fun. He was a coal miner where he became an expert at setting off dynamite. Later he became a welder, well driller, a potato farmer, a real estate salesman and investor, and a stock market investor. He also built and ran a gold mine which was, at the time, the largest operating gold mine in Nevada. He operated a lot of heavy equipment at the mine including a Hough dozer which he brought back to Lava Hot Springs when he ended those mining days. With this Hough dozer, he built and developed subdivisions and roads to many places locally in Lava Hot Springs. He developed Lava Ranches, Indian Springs, the Dempsey Creek area, and his own subdivision, Mt. Juniper Ranchettes. He also helped run a local power plant and invented ways of improving efficiency and safety. He even bought and installed a new bridge across the Portneuf River that still stands today; the bridge was needed to provide access to Mary's place from the adjoining KOA campground when the previous bridge failed. A jack of all trades and a professional in all, is an understatement. His pride and joy jobs were gold mining and farming. He was flown to many gold mines as a mining consultant. He said that mining was something he was born to do because he could read the mountains. Farming was his second love because he said by working the ground and giving it your energy, you receive back a whole lot more than you put in.

With all this going on, his love of family, friends, and faith took center stage. His heart was so big and had so much room that he never met a friend that didn't quickly become family. As a husband, he couldn't have been a better partner. He loved being a father but being grandpa was the ultimate, not just to his own grandkids, but his heart enveloped every child. He will always be remembered for his special smile, his caring heart, that warm embrace he always gave us, and those special love bites that many of us received and even came back for more. He lived by his sayings: "life is too short not to be happy" and "you can only live so good."

He was preceded in death by his first wife Doris Ann Frandsen (nee Peterson), his parents Burke and Beecie Frandsen, five brothers, David, Samuel, Cecil, Rex, and Melvin, and one sister, Sarah.

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