Francis “Fran” Warnemunde, age 73, of Burnsville, MN, entered eternal peace on Saturday, December 23, 2023, at his home surrounded by family.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Thursday, January 4, 2024, at 11 am, with a time of gathering from 9:30-10:45 am, both at the Church of the Risen Savior, 1501 East County Road 42, Burnsville. Father Matthew Malek will preside. Fran will be laid to rest with military honors at a private family interment at Fort Snelling National Cemetery, Minneapolis, MN.
A passionate husband, dad and papa, Fran was an individual who had a gift for talking, shared his opinions with you, and upon leaving, he embraced you with a hug. Proud of his Irish heritage, he was a bit strong-willed and feisty at times, but Fran was most content being surrounded by family and enjoying the simple things in life.
Francis Milo and Patricia Ann (Ripley) proudly announced the birth of Francis Arthur Warnemunde, on August 5, 1950. Born in St. Peter, MN, he was the second of seven children growing up on the family farm in Kilkenny, MN. Living close to his uncle’s farm, the two Warnemunde families spent countless hours helping each other with daily tasks, which allowed Fran to be able to play with his cousins. Fran wasn’t a fan of the daily farm chores, but it did instill in him the value of hard work, which he carried throughout his life. Fran attended Le Center High School, where he accidentally attended the wrestling meeting, instead of the basketball meeting. It proved to be the “right” mistake, as Fran excelled as a wrestler!
After graduating from high school in 1968, Fran moved to the Twin Cities area. He accepted a job for a year before Fran was drafted into the United States Army. He was stationed in Germany and trained on TOW Missiles during the Vietnam War.
While on a blind date in high school and unbeknown to him, Fran met the love of his life, Margaret Mary Svoboda. Through the school years and his deployment, their love story grew strong. On February 17, 1973, at St. Wenceslaus Catholic Church in New Prague, MN, Fran and Margaret were married. The newlyweds established roots in South Minneapolis for 12 years, before moving to their forever community of Burnsville.
Fran and Margaret were blessed with two sons, Daniel and Colin. Fran loved spending quality time with the boys, especially playing video games, in hopes of beating their high score, supporting them in sporting activities or just hanging out. As a family, they created special memories on the annual trips to Whitewater State Park and visiting family in Colorado. Fran’s best years were becoming a papa to 4 amazing grandchildren. They were his world and loved being active in their lives.
In his spare time, Fran enjoyed assorted card games, watching western movies on TV, spending time on the computer and in his early years riding his Kawasaki. He devoted most of his career to sales, with emphasis on alarm and insurance sales. Since Fran loved to talk, he excelled in any position he held.
Carrying on Fran’s legacy and those who love him the most, wife of 50 years, Margaret; sons, Daniel (Margie) Warnemunde, Colin (Liz) Warnemunde; grandchildren, Cole, Ava, Luke, Owen; siblings, Mary Ann (Pat) Hentges, Tim (Patty) Warnemunde, Allen (Paula) Warnemunde, Nancy Warnemunde; sister-in-law, Bernadette Warnemunde; and other loving family and friends.
Greeting Fran home in eternal peace are his parents, Milo and Ann; siblings, Cindy (Harry) Connor and Joe Warnemunde; brother-in-law, Harry Connor; and niece, Cassie Connor.
