Frank David Unterschuetz, 89, of Chetek passed peacefully with his family by his side. He was born June 2, 1935, in Chicago, IL to Sigfried and Muriel (Nold) Unterschuetz. Frank went on his final grand adventure on November 22nd, 2024. He joined his loving wife, Audrey, leaving behind many loved ones to cherish their memories.

Growing up in Chicago and spending time with grandparents in Wahpeton, South Dakota exposed Frank to the joys of travel at a young age. When he was 12, his family moved to Chetek and became involved in the poultry business. The move to Wisconsin snared Frank his first horse, a pony named Sammy.

Frank soon began his adventures in earnest. Some of those grand adventures included interesting choices of transportation, such as a farm tractor, train box cars, and a wooden rowboat. The rowboat carried him and a buddy down the Mississippi River to see the Gulf of Mexico. When they got to Kansas City, Missouri, a storm helped them make the decision to ditch the rowboat and head out on foot. The school year started earlier in Kansas City, so a nice police officer gave them a ride to a youth detention center, where they learned to play pool.

The adventures continued, some sanctioned by parents, some not. A sanctioned trip was the National Boy Scout Jamboree at Valley Forge in 1950. General Eisenhauer inspected the Boy Scout troops and scolded Frank for rolling up his pant legs, because it was not proper dress code.

Other adventures include setting pins in a bowling alley in Wyoming, digging ditches in Montana, being penniless in Oregon, and working the harvest in North Dakota. Once he was old enough to get his first car, he totaled it by running into a steamroller while reading a map.

In 1950, Frank went to Texas to ask a young man who was “holding hands” with Audrey, if he could date her since the other fella was in boot camp. The guy thought that would be okay, and the rest is history. In 1954, at the ripe old age of 19, Frank married Audrey, a union that endured for almost 69 years, until Audrey’s passing.

It comes as no surprise that Frank chose truck driving as his profession, or that he started by driving poultry trucks for the family business and Jerome Foods. For a time, he was plant manager at S.O. Unterschuetz and Sons poultry processing plant. When the plant closed, he began over-the-road driving. In 1981, Frank and Audrey opened the NuTuYu in Chetek. Retirement brought another adventure. Frank and Audrey went out West to work as cooks in the fire camps.

Frank is survived by a son, Frank Allen (Gina) of Franklin, KY, daughters Tamera Schutz (Robert) of Chetek, and Cheryl Hewitt of Holcombe, and “adopted” children, Larry Gilbertson (Lynn), and Brender Rederer. Grandchildren Cory Unterschuetz, Christy Unterschuetz, Rebecca Eby, Aaron Cook, Elizabeth van der Wal, Megan Rose, Joshua Hewitt, Taylor Hewitt, Shannon, Jimmy, Laura, David Craton, John Hewitt, Lance Tuscany, Richard Woodruff, Mark Woodruff, William Hargreaves, Matthew Hargreaves, and Cassandra Dietrich. Great-grandchildren, Cole, Tate, Dax, Jacob, Avery, Auden, Hollyn, Bailey, and Michael; brother, Bruce Unterschuetz (Gail) and sister, Gail Annette; numerous nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Sig and Muriel, sister Christine, brothers-in-law Don Annette and Ronald Wheeler, and sister-in-law Lois Ann Wheeler.

A Funeral Service will be held at the Chetek Lutheran Church on Tuesday, November 26, 2024, at 2:00 PM. Visitation will be held from 1:00 PM until the time of the service. The family invites those attending for a luncheon and time of remembrance in the church fellowship hall following the service.

Last Update: Nov 25, 2024 1:21 pm CST