Frank C. Alexander, 98, of Corning, KS, died on Tuesday, November 1, 2011 at Life Care Center in Seneca, where he had been a resident since October 2010.

Frank was born on a farm west of Corning on July 6, 1913 to William D. and Margaret Hanks Alexander. When he was age two, the family moved to the farmstead on which Frank lived until he was 97. He attended country school and graduated from Corning High School in 1933. His father passed away in 1934 and Frank took over the family farming operation.

He married Evelyn E. Holsapple on July 31, 1935 in Corning. The couple celebrated their 40th, 50th, 60th, and 65th wedding anniversaries, and enjoyed 68 years of marriage before Evelyn’s death on January 31, 2004.

Frank started his farming operation with crops and a small dairy herd, which later included stock cattle and registered quarter horses. In 1935, he purchased his first registered Duroc gilt and from that point on, was in the swine business. He sold his hogs to young 4-Hers across northeast Kansas, and made a point of attending County Fairs to watch them show “his hogs.” In 1947 Frank and Evelyn started the Red Vermillion 4-H Club among the families south of Corning. He was a Project and Community Leader for 21 years.

Frank served on the Nemaha County FFA Board as Director, the Nemaha County 4-H Fair Board, the Corning Cemetery Board, the Scenic Boar Testing Station Board at Wymore, NE; and on the KABSU Bullstud Board at Kansas State University. He was a founding Board Member of the Brown/Nemaha Pork Producers and of the Swine Testing Station Board at Kansas State University. In 1994 he received the honor of being named the Grand Marshall of the Nemaha County Fair and in 1997 received the Friend of 4-H Award for his lifetime contributions. However, his greatest recognition came in 1985 when he was presented the Kansas Master Pork Producer Award.

Frank was a member of the Corning United Methodist Church and served on numerous church committees. Frank and Evelyn enjoyed traveling around the United States, and he loved attending hog “events” and sales, as well as fishing, hunting and playing cards.

He is survived by a daughter Kay (Roger) Rethman of Corning; grandchildren, Stacy (Julie) Rethman of Circleville, Beckie Wells of Manhattan and Jason Rethman of Corning; and two great grandchildren, Kurtis Wells and Baylee Rethman, both of Manhattan.

He was preceded in death by his parents, his beloved wife, and by his brother Wendell, and his sister Mildred Baciac.

The funeral service will be held at 2 PM on Saturday, November 5, at Lauer Funeral Home in Seneca, where he will lie in state after 8 AM on Saturday. There will be a visitation at the funeral home starting one hour prior to the service. Burial will be in the Corning City Cemetery.