Robert "Busher" Wendell Frank

Robert Wendell “Busher” Frank, Jr., 75, of Warsaw, passed away on Tuesday, June 4, 2019, at Joliet Area Community Hospice in Joliet, Illinois.

Robert was born on April 11, 1944, in Keokuk, Iowa, the son of R. Wendell and Margaret Marie (McMahan) Frank. A lifelong resident of Warsaw, Busher graduated from Warsaw High School in 1962, and went on to study at Keokuk Community College, where he played basketball. He later went on to serve in the United States National Guard. During his working career, Busher was employed at Keokuk Steel Castings for over thirty years, where he retired. He was also a true Warsaw entrepreneur, owning several businesses and building many houses in the Warsaw area during the 1970’s.  

When he was young, Busher enjoyed coaching sports for the Warsaw youth, including his children and nephews. He loved and supported the Warsaw community, where he served as mayor from 2003 to 2009. Anyone who met Busher quickly learned two things about him: He was an avid Republican and diehard Cubs fan. If you didn’t see Busher driving around Warsaw, he could often be found at the corner table of DJ’s Bar and Grill, where he often went to eat and shoot the breeze with his friends. He will always be remembered for his big, one-of-a-kind personality and his love for his granddaughters and his family.

Busher is survived by his Mother, Margaret Marie Frank of Warsaw; his son Robert Wendell (Jessie) Frank, III, of Blandinsville, Illinois; his daughter Christina Katherine (Billie) Bavery of Manhattan, Illinois; his sister Martha (Les) Beeler of Warsaw; two granddaughters: Katherine and Madeline Bavery of Manhattan, Illinois; and his nephew & godson Lance Beeler and nephew Michael Beeler. Other survivors include many cousins and close friends.

Busher is preceded in death by his father R. Wendell Frank and his sister Susie Frank.

Funeral services will be held at 3 pm on Saturday, June 8, 2019, at Concordia Lutheran Church in Warsaw, with burial with military rites to follow at Oakland Cemetery in Warsaw. Visitation will be held on Friday, June 7, 2019, from 3 to 8 pm, with family meeting friends from 5 to 8 pm, at Printy Funeral Home in Warsaw.

A memorial has been established in memory of Busher.

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