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Northern Michigan in Focus: Frances Turns 95-Years-Old

Imagine living in the same house for over seven decades.

One woman in Missaukee County has and she’s about to reach a milestone.

Corey Adkins has her story in this week’s Northern Michigan In Focus.

“When we moved here this was a pretty cold house. The first winter the snow drifted underneath the door,” said Frances Bierens.

Frances Bierens has lived in the town of Lucas for almost 74 years.

“It was potato farmers, cattle and milking and all the old-fashioned stuff,” said Frances.

But what she did have in the small town was all around her.

“It was a good neighborhood though. We had lots of good neighbors,” said Frances.

And her best friend, her husband Casper. They met some year on the 4th of July and fell in love. Those were the years America’s young men were fighting for the very existence of our country and Casper was one of them.

“He was in the army, he was a corporal and when the Japanese bombed us they sent him up to the Aleutians Islands and he was way up on Unimak Island guarding our country,” said Frances.

But not even World War II would get in the way of their love. In 1944 he got a furlough back to the states.

“And that’s when we got married. It was a quick moment. We didn’t have no wedding we just got married and so we just did it the quick way and it worked out,” said Frances.

And it was working out. They had kids, careers, then grandkids and even great grandkids.

“There were hard days but there’s a lot of good days,” said Frances.

But no one can escape time.

Casper and Frances were married for 69 years.

“He passed away seven years ago,” said Frances.

“She’s been a good mom through all the years. Like she said there was tough times,” said Phyllis, Frances’s daughter.

On Friday Frances is turning 95 and she has some advice for us all.

“Be friendly, treat people decent don’t call everybody names in and hate people. I think we got too much hate in our country right now we got to turn it around we got to have a lot more love for each other and for country and everybody,” Said Frances.

So her family is asking to throw some love towards Frances with a simple birthday card.

“We thought it’d be a good idea for her birthday this year get as many people as possible who knew her and wanted to remember her with a card it would be a good idea for her for her birthday. So anybody that knows her or wants to send her a card they are welcome,” said Phyllis.

“95 long years but they’ve been pretty good years, I can’t complain,” said Frances.

You can send cards to:

Frances Bierens c/o Corey Adkins

1 Broadcast Way

Cadillac, MI 49601

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