Frank Kula

Most of us are content to follow, marching along the easiest path laid out for us in life. Frank Kula was a man who followed his own path, his own convictions, leading all those around him. He was a husband, father, grandfather and friend, but more than anything, Frank was a leader, who only followed his faith in the Lord.

The year was 1952, and America entered a new era, as the Nuclear Age had changed the world we lived in forever. Our nation's sons had returned home victorious from World War II, anxious to claim their share of the American Dream they fought so hard to protect. The Baby Boomer generation was born, giving so many Americans reason for new hope and celebration. Here in this corner of the globe, in the beautiful beachside town of Manistee, Michigan, the Kula family had their own reasons for celebration, with the birth of a son.

Frank Michael Kula was born January 22, 1952, on a cold, blustery Tuesday in Manistee, the second of five children born to Frank and Margaret (Schwindhammer) Kula. Frank's father worked on the car ferries and in a local foundry in Manistee, while his mother worked in area factories, as well as raising the growing family.

Frank led a very active youth, loved the outdoors and particularly sports. He started school at nearby Free Soil, and attended Manistee Catholic Central for a time. In 1968, however, when Frank was 16, his father packed up the family and moved them south around the lake to Chicago in search of better work. While many kids would have a hard time adjusting from Manistee to the Windy City, Frank enjoyed the new opportunities. He became very active in school, playing football and basketball. Two years later, Frank graduated from Gage Park High School, in 1970.

Having seen the great turmoil our nation endured in the 1960s, Frank wanted to help do something about it. So he enlisted in the U.S. Air National Guard after attending college for 3 semesters, anxious to serve his country.

When his service was up, he returned to his family in the Chicago area, and enrolled in Northern Illinois University, where he took courses in business management. Soon he met a woman named Dolores "dee" Dean, and the two married in 1975 in Chicago. Together they were blessed with a wonderful family, first by son Robb and later daughter Nancy. Sadly, they tragically lost their baby Angel, who died at birth.

Frank provided for his family by managing a grocery store in Chicago for several years, giving him a wealth of experience at running a business. Having learned first-hand, he moved his family back to Michigan in 1985, to Free Soil, where he bought a party store called the Jug-N-Plug in Parkdale Township near Manistee. They moved to Manistee a year later.

Frank owned the party store for 15 years, but somehow knew he was meant for a different path. He began working as a storekeeper for the State of Michigan Department of Corrections at the Oakes Correctional Facility in Manistee. He later transferred to the Camp Sauble Correction Facility, in Free Soil. He found the work to be rewarding, giving him a chance to help change lives, so he left the retail business and went to work in corrections full-time for the past 12 years. When Camp Sauble closed last year, he returned to the Oakes Correctional Facility.

Frank's life wasn't all work and no play, however. He spent his free time on his many hobbies, and loved to work in his garden, go water-skiing, or bicycling, a hobby he picked up in Chicago, along with racquetball. Together Frank and his son Robb had many great memories biking together. Frank also coached football and entertained at his homestead on Gun Lake in Free Soil, always lots of fun - especially his Fourth of July gatherings, which were filled with fireworks over the lake. Frank was the kind of person you couldn't help but want to be around, and drew people to him.

Frank was also a man full of faith, and a devout servant of the Lord, who not only followed the Word, but helped others to follow, as well. Frank dedicated his life to God in the late-1990s, in thought, word, and deed. He attended Promise Keepers, and started a Bible study with a group of men who wanted to learn more about God, often meeting at Frank's home.

Frank joined the Beacon Ministries Church after attending with his friend Joe Voorheis one day, and began serving as head usher. The other ushers affectionately called him "Sarge," for putting them through pre-service paces, including exercises, pep talks and prayer. Frank was always the first one to arrive at church, and you'd often see him shoveling the walks in the wintertime, or tending to whatever needed doing.

Frank carried within him an evangelical spirit, and was always reaching out to those around him. Every day he awoke with a mission to share Jesus with others, and was very proud of his salvation. He was a mentor to many youth at church, giving values, convictions, and a father-figure presence to boys of broken homes.

He didn't share his faith alone, though. He met a wonderful woman named Alyce (Speaker) Roshy at church, and the two began a romance. Alyce loved Frank's kind heart and friendly smile. They attended singles group together, began dating and married on August 9, 2003 at the church. Together they shared many happy times, as well as helped spread The Word.

Frank and Alyce were always doing for others, and would often buy farm fresh eggs and leave them anonymously in friends' cars. They were always looking for ways to better serve the Lord. Frank rarely missed the Tuesday evening prayer meeting, and attended Basic Training class for new believers four different times, to learn more about God.

Frank's love of the Lord was so sincere, and so heartfelt. He often asked for prayer requests, always focused on the needs of others. He organized so many events behind the scenes, from helping people move, to his annual fishing derby at his home every year for the kids at church. He loved children, and loved to pull them on inner tubes behind his boat.

Frank was very proud of his own children, of course, so proud of their accomplishments. He was a great husband, father, new grandfather, and friend to everyone he knew. He was a leader to so many, helping us follow a path to better lives, like him, a life with the Lord. He will be so greatly missed by his whole community.

Frank Kula died suddenly on Saturday, April 8, 2006 and went home to be with his Lord and Savior. He was preceded in death by his father Frank Sr. and his daughter Angel. He will be lovingly remembered and greatly missed by his wife Alyce, and stepdaughter Megan Roshy at home, his son Robb and Christina Kula and grandson Kadence of Ludington, his daughter Nancy Kula of Manistee, his mother Margaret Kula also of Manistee, his sisters Maria (Peter) Vanderploeg of Kalamazoo, and Kristine Kula of Manistee, his brothers Thomas Kula of Free Soil, and Michael (Lois) Kula of Chicago, his mother-in-law Betty Stroup, his sister-in-law Cindy Hummer of Ludington, his brother-in-law Jim Speaker of Indiana, and several nieces and nephews. A Celebration of Life service will be held for Frank at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, April 12 at Beacon Ministries with Rev. Tammy Bacon, and Pastor Joe Whitaker officiating. Burial will take place at St. John Cantius Cemetery in Free Soil. Friends may meet with his family for a time of visitation on Tuesday evening from 6-9 p.m. at the Stephens Life Story Funeral Home in Scottville, and on Wednesday morning from 10 a.m. until time of services at the church. Memorial contributions are asked to be directed towards the care of his family. Please visit Frank's personal memory page at www.lifestorynet.com to read his complete Life Story, sign the guestbook, or leave a memory for his family.