Frank Edward Mead

Frank Edward Mead, 90, of Delhi, Iowa, passed away on Friday, January 8, 2021, at the Good Neighbor Home in Manchester.  He was born on March 15, 1930, in Manchester, the son of Harry and Vera (Lane) Mead. Frank attended school at the Little Red School House near Manchester and was a 1946 graduate of Manchester High School. He then served honorably with special services for the United States Army.  

On May 15, 1949, Frank was united in marriage to Greta Hansel at the Little Brown Church in Nashua. Three children were born to this union. Frank owned and operated the Breeze Oil Station on the east side of Manchester and was a correctional officer for the Iowa State Prisons.

In 1952, Frank and Greta moved to Delhi where they became the administrators of the Delaware County Care Facility and remained there for 39 years. When they arrived, the facility had bars on the windows and a large fence surrounded it. Frank and Greta believed that the residents should not be treated as criminals and removed both. Frank spoke with the residents and helped them understand that he would assist them if they wanted to leave the property. There were few problems with residents running away after that.

In the early years, the County Home partially sustained itself as a farm. Frank and Greta ran the facility as a family farm and all residents were made to feel part of the family and assisted with the chores. They raised crops, maintained a large garden, and had an apple orchard. Greta did the baking and canning. Frank started out farming with two horses and one C Allis Chalmers tractor, picked corn by hand, and milked around 35 cows each morning and night. They had one hired man and one hired woman to assist them. The couple cared for the poor, homeless, and the disabled of Delaware County. The facility was home to 40-50 residents until a new 60 bed facility was built. Frank and Greta felt strongly that the County Home should have the right to church services on Sunday. They worked with Reverend Shield and the Ministerial Association to schedule a religious service for the residents each Sunday. Frank and Greta felt blessed by the people who had walked through their lives and knew that the Lord was with them through all of those years.

Frank was a lifetime member of the Delhi United Methodist Church and a faithful friend of Silver Creek United Methodist Church. He was Chancellor Commander of the Pythians Lodge in Manchester, was the first president of the Delhi Lions Club, a longtime member of the Manchester Masonic Lodge 165, and became a 32 Degree Mason and Potentate of El Kahir Shrine in 1988. 

Frank was a pilot when he was younger and enjoyed flying until his wife encouraged him to keep his feet on the ground. He enjoyed caring for people and was very giving of himself to challenged people and his own family. Frank loved his family and will be greatly missed by them.

Survivors include his three children, Mary (Bill) Nading of Manchester, Marcia (Steve) Intorf of Delhi, and Allen (Tina) Mead of Delhi; five grandchildren, Chad Intorf of Garden Grove, California, Kara (Sean) Meloy of Cedar Rapids, Bryce (Heather) Intorf of Delhi, Dustin (Emily) Mead of Delhi, and Brittney (Jeff) Willis of Farley; nine great-grandchildren; one brother, Robert Mead of Manchester; one brother-in-law, Lawrence Lillibridge of Manchester; many nieces, nephews, and several cousins.

Frank was preceded in death by his parents; his wife, Greta Mead in 2013; two sisters, Helen Lillibridge and Carol Buchanan; and a sister-in-law, Barbara Mead.

Because of COVID-19 concerns, masks are required at the church.

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