German-Texan Heritage Society, The Journal, Volume 32, Number 3, Fall 2010 Page: 159
This periodical is part of the collection entitled: German-Texan Heritage Society Publications and was provided to The Portal to Texas History by the German-Texan Heritage Society.
Extracted Text
The following text was automatically extracted from the image on this page using optical character recognition software:
159
tive volunteer for Girls Scouts and Boy Scouts when her children were growing up. She was also an
avid bowler, winning a number of trophies. Frances had a life long affiliation with the military; both
of her husbands and her son Michael were in the Navy and her son Benjamin was in the Army. After
19 years together, Frances and Norrie divorced in 1982.
In this next phase of her life, she began nearly 20 years of extensive traveling. Frances went to Europe on
multiple occasions, visited Russia and China and took several trips to Germany researching her family ori-
gins. She also traveled extensively in the U.S. - cruising Alaska, taking a paddleboat down the Mississippi
and many roads trips in her RV. Frances loved her German ancestry and researched her German roots with
extensive genealogy. She was an active member of the German-Texas Heritage Society for many years. She
loved to dance and would take any opportunity to kick up her heels. Frances liked trying new and different
things. Family was important to her; she spearheaded the Heimer Family Reunion for many years and
kept in contact with relatives across the country. Community and friends were also important toIn Memoriam
Francis M. Copeland
av Frances M. Copeland, age 75, passed away June 24, 2010. She was born on July 3, 1934
in Comal County, TX. She worked and retired from USAA (1952-1991). She was pre-
ceded in death by her first husband, John Copeland; second husband, Norwick Harrison;
son, Michael Copeland; parents, Erwin & Elsie Heimer. Frances is survived by her
r daughter, Karen Copeland & husband, Michael Fry; grandchildren, Alyssa Fry and An-
joli Fry; and granddaughter, Christa & her family. Visitation will be 4:00 - 7:00 p.m.,
Sunday, June 27, 2010 at Sunset Funeral Home. Funeral Service will be 9:00 a.m., Mon-
. day, June 28, 2010 at Sunset Funeral Home Chapel. Interment will follow at Sunset Me-
morial Park. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the National Arthritis
Foundation www.arthritis.org.sg and/or National Migraine Foundation
www.migraines.org . Condolences may be offered at www.sunsetfuneralhomesa.com
San Antonio Express News
Frances was born Frances Marie Heimer on July 3rd 1934 in Comal county Texas. Her father, Erwin
Heimer, was a blacksmith and her mother, Elsie Heimer, was a homemaker. Frances grew up on her parents'
property on old Nacodoches Road, which consisted of the Heimer Blacksmith Shop, a gas station, their
house, a smokehouse, chicken coops, a vegetable garden and numerous sheep. She was confirmed at Beitel
Lutheran Church in 1947. In her early years, she attended a one-room schoolhouse in Salado Valley but later
attended Alamo Heights Junior and High Schools. She. was very proud of the fact that she was in the first
graduating class of Northeast High School, now known as MacArthur High School. Frances went to work at
USAA in 1952 when it was still located on Broadway and stayed there until her retirement in 1991. She mar-
ried John Charles Copeland in 1955. Her son Michael was born September 2nd 1956. She was widowed in
June 1959 when John Copeland was killed in an automobile accident. Her daughter Karen was born on Feb-
ruary 6th 1960. In 1963 Frances married Norwick (Norrie) Harrison. Norrie had 3 children from a previous
marriage, Benjamin, Julie and Brett. Norrie and his eldest son, Benjamin, joined Frances and her children in a
blended family.
The Harrison household was well known for its hospitality and friends were always welcome to drop in.
Frances took great pride in her home and created a warm place for friends and family with lots of food and
activities. They also had a house at Lake LBJ that was full of kids, families and fun. She was an ac-
Upcoming Pages
Here’s what’s next.
Search Inside
This issue can be searched. Note: Results may vary based on the legibility of text within the document.
Tools / Downloads
Get a copy of this page or view the extracted text.
Citing and Sharing
Basic information for referencing this web page. We also provide extended guidance on usage rights, references, copying or embedding.
Reference the current page of this Periodical.
German-Texan Heritage Society. German-Texan Heritage Society, The Journal, Volume 32, Number 3, Fall 2010, periodical, Autumn 2010; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1507480/m1/7/?q=%22~1~1~1%22~1&rotate=90: accessed July 16, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting German-Texan Heritage Society.