Frances “Frankie” M. Ullenberg

Frances M. “Frankie” Ullenberg departed on her journey to the next station in the early morning of August 26, 2019. Her parents, Ralph and Maria Ullenberg, started Frances’ life journey on a ship steaming from Germany to the United States. She was born in Milwaukee on January 29, 1948. Her childhood was filled with music, dance, drawing, and creativity. She would gaze for hours outside her window, drawing the interesting and beautiful things she saw. Through her school years, she was always known as the most artistic in class, illustrating school newspapers and theater programs. She graduated Brown Deer (Granville) High School in 1966 and moved on to the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee where she was dismayed there was not a degree course in “making things beautiful”.  Many changes of major later she graduated and moved into a career in commercial art and design. Beginning at Ads Inc., she worked as an art director at many agencies including Laughlin-Constable, Eichenbaum and Associates, and Cramer-Krasselt. In 1990 she pursued her ambition to work in New York City where she specialized in branding and package design for many well-known fashion and beauty brands. In 2001 she returned to Milwaukee to engage in freelance design.  Through it all, she enjoyed other creative outlets such as forming a performance art and music trio, The Pioneers of Modern Typography, in the 1980s. She was a longtime member of the Milwaukee Mandolin Orchestra. She continued to support the arts and artists throughout her life in Milwaukee. Her time on earth was almost entirely devoted to finding beauty and making beauty.
Frances is survived by siblings David Ullenberg and Susan Ullenberg, long-time friends Guna Beitz, Warren Wernecke, Barb  Paulini and Robin Pluer, as well as countless other devoted friends and admirers.

A life celebration will be held September 27, 2019, at 217 North Broadway in Milwaukee, Wisconsin from 7:00 PM — 10:00 PM.