Frank Lee Clark, age 92 of Batesville, Indiana, passed away on Wednesday, January 22, 2025, at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center in Cincinnati, Ohio. Born October 3, 1932, he is the son of Charles “Dutch” and Jessica (Nee: Jagers) Clark. He married Marti Fledderman on November 27, 1971, at St. Louis Catholic Church in Batesville. Frank worked as a Postal Carrier for over 27 years at the United States Post Office in Batesville, retiring in 1992. Frank served in both the Army and Air Force during the Korean War, before being honorably discharged. He was a member of the St. Louis Catholic Church, Prell-Bland American Legion Post #271, Veterans of Foreign Wars Post #3183, and the Knights of Columbus Council #1461.
Frank moved in with his grandmother, Molly, when he was very young due to the passing of his parents from tuberculosis. He lived with his grandmother for a few years before she contracted the disease and succumbed to it when he was around 8. From there he went to live in an orphanage. Frank would tell everyone of his many adventures while living in the orphanage, such as stealing a bike from one of his foster families and trying to run away. Frank remained in the orphanage until he was 17, when he was able to join the army. While he was in the army, he too contracted tuberculosis and spent nearly two years in the hospital and had to have part of a lung removed. After leaving the hospital, he was able to contact his sister Betty Bauer, and moved to Batesville, Indiana to be near her. Once in Batesville he met many people, including his wife, Marti. Frank and Marti met at a bar in Batesville, once known as Chucks, now known as Benny’s. From the time he moved here on, he became a fixture in the community.
Frank loved to be outdoors. He spent most of his working years as a mailman and could be seen walking through Batesville delivering the mail. Contrary to the stereotype, Frank loved the dogs on his route and made friends with most of them. Frank also had a pair of his own dogs he loved to “run”, Pixie and Dixie. When his daughters were grown and had dogs of their own, he loved them as well. From Sadie, to Hoosier, to Bentley, Dierks, and Dixie, he loved them all. He often told his grandkids how his dream in life had always been to have his own farm with lots of dogs on it.
On Saturday Afternoons Frank Could be found at Huser’s, then Tuba’s playing cards, telling stories, and having a drink. While there he loved to tell jokes and make people laugh. He was very witty and could keep everyone laughing as long as he had an audience. He had many friends there and would have a conversation with anyone, whether he knew them for a day or most of his life. This place was definitely his home away from home. So much was he a fixture there, that when Tuba sold the bar on New Year’s Eve 2021, he gave Frank his bar stool and Frank had it at home until the day he passed.
Another thing Frank loved were his birds. He had many bird feeders, bird houses, and a bird bath spread throughout his backyard. For Christmas each year the only thing he ever asked for was a new bird feeder or seed for his birds. Of course, he always got his bird feed, but he also received some Notre Dame sweatshirts or t shirts that he would wear while cheering on his favorite football team or IU gear to wear while rooting for his favorite basketball team.
The thing Frank was the most proud of was his grandchildren and great grandchildren. He loved to tell people how well they were doing in school or about their performance in their latest game. He spent a lot of time with them, even picking them up from kindergarten in his truck. Later in his life he wasn’t able to attend their events, but he was always sure to keep up on their performance and let them know he was rooting for them. He was older than the average first-time grandfather and he always worried that he wouldn’t ever make it to one of their graduations, but he ended up getting to see two of his great grandchildren born and he loved them dearly.
No matter the circumstance, Frank always had a smile on his face and was ready to tell a joke. From all of his stays in the hospital, he always quickly became a favorite patient of all of his nurses. Two days before he passed, he was cracking jokes with his nurses and again quickly became one of their favorites. This is a testament to his strength; Frank underwent many hardships throughout his life, but throughout them all remained a positive, inspiring presence to all those around him.
He is survived by his wife Marti of Batesville; daughters Molly (Ben) Pierson of Batesville and Aimee (Ed) Negovetich of Oldenburg; grandchildren Caleb (Tiffany), Maddie, Eli, and Noah Pierson, Jake, Annie, and Jax Negovetich; great grandchildren Reid and Vivian Pierson. In addition to his parents, Frank was preceded in death by his grandmother Mollie Jagers, sister Betty Bauer and brothers Pat Clark and Norman Scifres.
Calling is Friday, January 31st, from 4 – 7 p.m., at Weigel Funeral Home in Batesville. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10:00 a.m., Saturday, February 1st, at Holy Family Catholic Church in Oldenburg, with Fr. John Barker OFM officiating. The burial will follow at St. Louis Cemetery in Batesville, with military graveside rites conducted by the Ripley County V.F.W. Post #3183 and the Prell-Bland American Legion Post #271 of Batesville. A Celebration of Life will immediately follow at Backroads Bar and Grill. Memorial Contributions may be made to the Edward Goble Scholarship Fund or the Ripley County Humane Society. For online condolences go to www.weigelfh.com.