Obituary

Early in the morning on July 1, 2019, Frances passed away at her home in Eagle Mountain with family and loved ones around her. She was 71 years old. Frances, more commonly known as Fran or Francie, was born in Cooperstown, New York to Murray Sweet and Elizabeth “Betty” Wright. She was the third of four children, with older siblings Marilyn “Donna” and Murray Jr., and younger brother James. Her childhood was spent mostly in New York, the family lived on Canadarago Lake during her younger years. In 1959 they moved to “the farm” near Waterville, NY. As a child, she and her siblings would play in the barn and swing from a long, thick rope from one side of the barn to the other. Fran’s older sister, Donna, described her as feisty, and she earned the nickname, “Frances the famous kicker.” She loved to sing, a trait that followed her throughout her life, and as their mother sang and played the piano, it seemed only natural that she sing along.

In 1962 her parents divorced, and she lived with her mother for a short time in Pocatello, ID. She graduated high school in Bedford, MA, where she met her first husband, David, whom she married in 1968. They immediately moved to Utah, where she spent the remainder of her life. David and Frances were married for fourteen years and had six children together, Muriel, Annette, Samantha, Nancy, David, and Christian. Her ‘other’ kids, who called her Nonnie, are Jonathan, Jenifer, Ruth, Amanda, Joseph, Aimee, and Heather. Their time together was an adventure, they ran a health food store and moved around the state of Utah many times before divorcing.

In 1986 she married Cyril Watt, and welcomed his children as her own, growing her family even more. Cyril lovingly cared for Fran until she passed. His sweetheart and honey, they had some fun adventures throughout their time together, he especially remembers their time in Motoqua with fondness.

Gina Putnam, a close friend of Fran’s since 1978, remembers her as a sister in heart. She described Fran as, “Always being there to help, nurture, and support.” Once, when Gina’s family was stuck on the freeway on a bitterly cold day, she called Fran while her husband Putt was trying to fix the truck. After a few minutes of chatting, they hung up. Not long after, Fran pulled up behind their broken-down truck with blankets, snacks, and some toys for the kids. They had a little picnic on the side of the road until the truck was fixed. She turned a major hassle into a magical encounter.

Her children and grandchildren fondly remember her turning unexpected power outages into “pioneer nights,” where all the candles would be lit, and everyone would pretend like they lived in an era long past. She had a knack for turning potentially uncomfortable situations into miniature adventures.

She had a magical ability at story-telling. Little ears had only to listen to the sound of her musical voice, and they would be transported into a world of adventure, romance, or suspense. Her skill was honed by her study as a broadcaster, and she used that talent well in entertaining her children, grand-children, and great-grandchildren.

Her vocabulary was incredible, she used to study the dictionary--just for fun-- and she put that vocabulary to good use. Her children, and subsequently grandchildren, are a testament to that, often using words long forgotten without thinking about it. One need only ask Fran the meaning of a word, and she would not only tell you what it meant, but give you a little tidbit about why it meant what it did. She was incredibly witty, and full of interesting information.

Lovingly referred to as, Fran, Frannie, Francie, Mom, Nonnie, Gram, Grammy, Grandma, and “Empress of the Universe” she was adored by not only biological grandchildren and great-grandchildren, but by countless bonus kids, which she claimed all the same.

Fran will be missed dearly by all those who had the opportunity to get to know her. She is survived by her siblings, her six children, 39 grandchildren, and 26 great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her parents and three of her grandchildren, Cassiopeia and Brian James Ackley, and Timothy Williams. We can only imagine the wonderful reunion she may be having, and we look forward to hearing her read and tell stories once more.

We would like to thank Marcine for her devoted love and attention to Fran in the final stages of her life.

There will be a small graveside service for Frances on Friday, July 5th at 2:30pm in the Taylorsville Cemetery, where she will be laid to rest next to her grandbabies.