Frank LeRoy King passed away on June 29, 2022, in Klamath Falls, OR, after a long battle with prostate cancer. He was attended by his long-time caregivers and family members in his last days. Frank was almost 95 years old having been born July 18, 1927 in Oakland, CA to Frank LeRoy King, Sr. and Mary Downie King. Frank grew up in Berkeley and Lafayette, CA. He graduated from Acalanes High School in 1945 and joined the US Navy as WWII was coming to an end. He trained at Naval Training Center San Diego and was assigned to the USS Chicago. He was discharged from the service in August, 1946, and went back to ranching with his father in the Mt Diablo area in CA. He attended UC Davis from 1947-50. He was encouraged by a fraternity brother to apply for a homestead drawing in the Klamath Basin and he was awarded a homestead in 1949 in the Coppock Bay area. He spent the next two years commuting between Davis and Tulelake. He met Virginia Lee Spencer through mutual friends, and they married on November 1, 1952. Frank farmed and ranched for the next 48 years on the homestead. He started Hi-Valley Mills which processed forage and grain crops into pelleted feed for livestock. He custom feed lambs on the homestead, at one time feeding close to 20,000 head. He transitioned to feeding cattle on the homestead and later took a job managing Ore Cal feedlot in Malin, OR. He and Virginia raised three children on the ranch and were very active in their lives. Frank led the 4-H horse club and organized a horse pack trip into the Marble Mountains in Siskiyou County. He served on the Tulelake Butte Valley Fair board for many years. He was instrumental in developing the horse arena and starting the greased pig contest. Frank also participated in the beef industry at the state and national level. Frank loved to hunt and fish. His favorite deer hunting location was his mother's ranch in Texas and later hunting elk in the western US. His favorite fishing was on the Rogue River in Oregon. He landed many a steelhead or salmon and got "skunked" a few times also. One of Frank's cherished activities was camping at Medicine Lake with his children and then his grandchildren. Frank and Ginger moved to Klamath falls in 2000. Frank loved to garden in the lot behind their house and delivering vegetables to family and friends. He helped deliver fresh produce to the Klamath Food bank for several years. Frank was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 1995 yet continued to live with a positive attitude. He and son David participated in the Relay for Life in 2000 as cancer survivors. He also contributed to the Cancer Treatment Center in Klamath Falls. He and Virginia became active supporters of the scholarship program at OIT by reviewing applications for scholarships and later endowing three scholarships for single parents attending OIT in order to help lift the financial burden as they furthered their education. Frank also loved attending the Hustling' Owls basketball games. Frank is preceded in death by his wife Virginia and son David. He is survived by daughters, Holly King (Steve Runyan) of Caldwell, ID and Laurie (Roger) Piepenbrink; grandchildren Amy Piepenbrink, Angie King, Evan (Nicole) Piepenbrink, Cameron King and Whitney (Jason) Cantrell; three great grandchildren, Blake and Tana King and George Cantrell; and a nephew Hank (Kathie) Thompson of Arlington, TX. A Celebration of Life will be held Sunday, October 30 at 1 p.m. at the College Union, 3201 Campus Dr., Klamath Falls, OR. In lieu of flowers donations can be made to the Klamath County Food Bank, PO Box 312, Klamath Falls, OR 97601 or online at klamathfoodbank.org ; Tulelake-Butte Valley Fair Friends, Inc., PO Box 1082, Tulelake, CA 96134; Tulelake Fire Dept, C/O Fire Chief Nick Scott, PO Box 531, Tulelake, CA 96134.
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