Passed away peacefully on Friday, December 27, 2013 with his family at his side. Beloved husband of Clara (nee Diedrich) Biehl for 63 years. Loving father of Steven (Sharon) Biehl and Marna (Rusty) Peterson. Proud grandpa of Anna (Chris) Murfield and Rebecca (Mark) O'Brien and great-grandpa of Cael and Cayden Murfield. Dear brother of Carol Anderson, Harold (Gilda) Biehl, John (Sally) Biehl and Walter (Mary) Biehl. Brother-in-law of Carol Biehl, Catherine Baltz and Doris Diedrich. Further survived by other relatives and friends. Preceded in death by his parents, Florence and Walter Biehl Sr., son Thomas Biehl, great-grandson Matthew Thomas O'Brien, brother Dennis Biehl and sister Evelyn Freele.
Visitation Saturday, January 4, at GOOD SHEPHERD CATHOLIC CHURCH, N88 W17658 Christman Road, Menomonee Falls, WI, 9:00 AM until time of Funeral Mass at 11:00 AM. Private interment at St. Anthony Catholic Church Cemetery.
Frank founded Biehl Engineering Inc. in 1960 and retired in 2008. He was a long time member of Good Shepherd Catholic Church. Frank participated in Volunteer Service in International Executive Service Corp – Guatemala and Engineering Ministries International – Haiti and Kenya.
Francis Walter Biehl ("Frank")
"You Are Special":
November 20, 1928 – December 27, 2013
A milestone, a celebration, a new age, a time to be honored…..
This is a collection of thoughts dedicated to my husband and our father from your family. We never lose the ones we love they continue to live on in our hearts forever. . . .
November 20, 2008
From Clara:
Thoughts from the gal you married:
To my dear husband loving wishes on your 80th birthday. Family is gathering with you to celebrate you, your life and times over the yers and share thoughts of how much you mean to all of us. First thought that comes to mind is your love of family. How happy and overjoyed you were at the birth of each son, daughter and each grandchild now a great grandson. You always wished there would be more. That didn't happen until the children and grandchildren brought the love of their life into the family and now they are ours to love too. Sharon and Steve remember well the hints for more grandchildren. After years of apartment living you had a longing to have a home for us became apparent. One Satuday you set out with a friend, Tom Grim to look for a lot. There were many more times before but this one was special. It had a ravine, creek and a lot of trees. Tom Grimm being a big tease tried to convince me the lot was a cow pasture with a chicken coop on it. Thereafter you began designing & redesigning plans until you could build a model that pleased you. Against all odds, only 27, little money, litle help, brothers Jack & Harold gave you a hand now and then. Home building became a great challenge as of hard work and a broken leg falling off of thee scaffold, and remember you fell on your head but ended up with a broken leg. All this because of your love for me and the children. Another challenge with little money and lots of determination it came to be. Started in a bedroom with not much more than a drafting table. In time the business grew and prospered and was the fore runner of what became to be Biehl Engineering, Inc. A very succssful business in this area as well as other states, Michiigan, Illinois & Florida were some. Steve is now in charge and is doing a great job. It is time for you to take off sometime and retire, enjoy some lesiure. The best of times were your scouting years both for Tom & Steve. I remembered the great times you had overnight week-end camp outs, trips and teaching the boys to cook. Also, much about nature. You were cubmaster, scout master, counselor and Northeast District Commissioner – that kept you in scouting longer than the boys. When you heard about a father/daughter program at the Y called Indian Princesses, you were excited to enroll and get started. Marna's turn to go camping, get in on the fun of doing things with you. There were many activities, craft-making, outings like Chuckee Cheese dinners with other families. Many joyful times, I loved the fun names you chose – Bigfoot and Little Foot. You were the fun dad and you gave me many opportunities too. Classes at Wayne State, classes at MATC – enough credits equivalent to one year of college. The opportunity to travel to the world over places I never dreamed of seeing – You sent your mom along for the pleasure of her company. Or was it to keep an eye on me. Thank you for your love and always being there for me. May God bless you. We miss Tom and what could have been. Some people make the world more special by being in it.
From Steve:
Dad:
I have a lot of memories of you from the time I was little to the prsent. Some of the ones that come to mind are: when you were building the house; taking Tom and I for Jeep rides; going to Cub Scout and Boy Scout events; taking us sailing; going deer hunting at Uncle Jacks; teaching me how to drive a car; and teaching me many things about engineering. I will always remember your passion for unique cars and how you helped Tom and I pursue our interests in motorcycles and snowmobiles.
When I think about the person I have become I remember how you and mom have raised me and provided for me. No doubt going to a Catholic Grade School has influenced my moral character. I don't think I would have achieved my Eagle Scout rank without your encouragement. I appreciate how you provided for me so that I could go to college and earn my engineering degree, working with you through the years has taught me how to run the business you started when I was little. Now that I am older I often think how I am following in your path as I help guide my children as you and mom have guided me. Thank you for everything.
Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift. 2 Cor 9:15
From Marna:
Dad:
We are wishing you a very Happy 80th Birtthday! In honor of your birthday we have written down some thoughts that best describe your life over the years.
"F" Is for Frank. You have become known by your ambition and fondness for life's adventures, and you have accomplished most anything that you have attempted to do. Most importantly you have tried to live out your life to HELP others in need even on a moments notice. When you were finished with your work for the day, you would be found at home. My fondest memories were Indian Princesses. As Big Foot and Little Foot, we had fun going to Indian Princess meetings, Winter Pow Wows, learning tribal chants, customs and jewelry, and enjoyed the great outdoor activities year round. Another fond memory was going to the father daughter dinner dance at Mount Mary College.
Over time your role as father developed into becoming a father-in-law and a facilitator in choosing your prospective son-in-law, Rusty. You had him join our family for a weekend in Door County. This turned out to be our first date. Years later your facilitating came to fruition and worked out well as you saw Rusty & I join in marriage at the alter of Saint Annes Church on Mackinac Island in Michigan.
"R" Is for the many roles you played to live out the richness of your life. You are a father to Tom, Steve, and me. Eventually over time you became known as a Grandfather to Anna and Rebecca (. . . . . and Gramps to Mr. Priestly). Ultimately Anna and her husband Chris allowed you to play another role as a Great Grandfather to Cael. Congratulations. One of the key, most important, and vital roles you have played is to be the husband to your wife of 59 years Clara (Diedrich) Biehl who you proposed to on Saturday September 30th 1950 at Saint Mary's Church in Stockbridge, Wisconsin.
Addditional roles you have played include being an active campaigner for political canidates like Ross Perot. A studious student of engineering and a graduate from Wayne State University (formerly known as Michigan State University), M.S.O.E., and a post graduate of Marquette University. You held numerous memberships in American, National and International Societies. Later in life you served during the 1995 – 1998 administration in a prestigious position on the consultative councils with twenty other consultants for the National Institues of Building Science Committee in Washington D.C. As an advisor to Congress under President Clinton in developing the writing of the Federal Building Codes.
Your determination to pursue your interests earned your merits demonstrated how you perservered in living out a disciplined life, in efforts, to help in serving others at the home and on your job.
"A" is for architect and arson investigator for Biehl Engineering as well as for author of "Unfulfilled Dreams" A is also for your active mind, and ambitions planning to allow your family to enjoy many adventure some summers with your friends and family to go out with you in your Amphicar. On lookers became the paparazi as they took picutres of you driving your little red amphibious boatcar into Lake Michigan with the sound of the ooga boat horn blowing as you entereed the waterways with your car taking on a new look as a boat.
1999 Silver Saab 9.5 Sedan (Swedish);
1999 Navy Saab 9.3 Hatchback (Swedish)
and last but not least, your forethought to purchase a future classic-to-be 2006 blue Toyota Prius Hybrid.
"N" Is for "No Need It" as we were often told while we were growing up when we wanted something we thought we needed. "Thanks" for teaching us that as we learned not all wants are needs.
"K" Is for "Keen" and "Kudos" to you for the knowledge you acquired and the keen mind you displayed in all your work, and especially, in your investigtions. You also took a keen interest in your childreen gaining knowledge. "Keen" is a word we often heard from you as we were growing up and it let us know you were acknowledging our efforts and achievements.
"B" Is for you believed in yourself to live out the best years of you life as a boyscout leader, boss and proprietor of Biehl Engineering You business has blessed you bountifully, allowingyou to support your family, your taste for exotic cars and to stockpile your favorite sweet treats.
When you were't busy with your family or the job you would always make time for us to participate in one of your favorite pastimes. Being the avid car collector that you are, you would take your family faithfully year after year to the annual car show held at the Mecca arena and continues today at the Midwest Convention Center. There we would go and look at cars and shop around for ideas as there were so many choices for you to consider. It was hard for you to narrow it down to the next exotic or classic car to add to your collection even thoughit was a struggle for you to pick just one car, it was even harder for you to retire them. You always had a home in your heart and fond memories for each.
1928 Model A Ford;
1929 Model A Ford;
1941 Pontiac Torpedo 8;
1955 Black & White Studebaker (French);
1951 Red & White Jeep Willy's (Ohio, USA);
1963 Red Amphicar w/an English Triumph Engine (Germany);
1972 Brown Citroen SM (French);
1976 White & Black Saab Hatchback (Sweedish)
1986 Silver Maserati Bi-Turbo 425 (Handmade Italian)
1988 Blue Saab Hatchback (Sweeedish)
1982 Black & Gold trimmed Cadillac Cimmeron
"I" Is for your illustrative ability in turning your ideas into reality using your immeasurable imagination and intellect to investigate the insurmountable . . . earning you the ingenious and illustrious title of Sherlock Holmes by those who knew you best. This title was given to you by a school friend Don Kolbeck and later on in life by a well-known Milwaukee attorney Alvin Eisenberg (from the Eisenberg Law Office) as a compliment for all the work you had done for him.
"E" Is for expert witness, engineer, and enterpreneur. Your enterpreneurial skills began, from what I understand in 4-H, when the rabbits you carefully raised won shows. Eventually in other areas of expertise and elbow grease paid off. The energy you exude to accomplish everything has allowed you to industriously look after your families needs, to fix cars and beome an epicurean of mom's cooking. In addition to all that, you even used your electrical engineering degree to fix my curling irons (Thanks Dad!)
"H" is for living a life of helping and reaching out to others throughout the world, from your efforts to serve abroad in Haiti with "The Engineering Ministries International."
"L" Is for the legacy you are leaving behind of a life well-lived.
Thank you dad for being the inspiration to those around you and doing your best for our family!
To the world you may be one person but to just one person you may be the world.
How priceless is Your unfailing love. Psalm 36:7
