Mary Ellen Frame

“She was a center. She was THE center of our family, bringing us together at every opportunity she could. Her home was the center of our (the grandkids’) childhood, where we would climb her trees, play in her yard (and on her Nintendo since she was also the coolest grandma ever), and wander through the files at the Frame’s Pest Control office out at the back of her backyard. Even as an adult, I could turn to her when things were hard and she always listened, even if she didn’t have any advice- she always had an open ear. Center.” -Tony Frame On December 14, 2025, Mary Ellen (Mom and GG), was called home to the Lord. She leaves behind a legacy that can only be overshadowed by her immense and unwavering love for and dedication to her family. Mary Ellen was born at home on the farm March 8, 1934, in Berkey, OH to John Arthur Zenk and Lucy Simon Zenk. She attended Metamora schools and has remained friends with her classmates over the years. She was involved in cheerleading and played cornett in the band. She was raised on the family farm and remained passionate about farming/farmers throughout her entire life. She loved to drive the Alice Chalmers farm equipment and always kept abreast of the current farming politics and had very strong opinions on the importance of family farms surviving. She married her husband, Shorty (Eldred Frame) on April 5, 1952, and the Frame family legacy began. Their marriage lasted 60 years until Shorty’s death in 2012. Shorty was an entrepreneur and brought her along on his life’s journeys. Together they raised 5 children: Debbie, Rick, Vicky, Becky, and Cathy. They had many small businesses leading up to Frame’s Tree Service from 1956 to 1978, including a laundromat and home cleaning products. Mary Ellen was a trooper and went along with and became a part of all of his adventures. Frame’s Pest Control was a strong focus for her during her working years. Along with Shorty, they began and maintained the outstanding company that is now continuing with the third generation of our family. She worked at Frame’s Pest Control from 1974 until 2014, retiring just after her 80th birthday. The yard of the Rood street house was where life lessons and friendships began and were fortified, for the children and later for the grandchildren and great grandchildren. The Rood Street house was the gathering place for the family for generations, with holidays, sleepovers and family events happening all the time. Mary Ellen took the shenanigans of her children and childhood friends, and later grandchildren, in stride with her impeccable sense of humor and tolerance. Her first love and priority was always her family, and she had a very big one. Her 5 children gave her 13 grandchildren, and eventually 23 great grandchildren, all of whom were the biggest joy of her life. After her retirement in 2014, she immediately began caring for her great grandchildren while her grandchildren worked, several of them for Frame’s Pest Control. She had strong ties and connections with each and every grandchild and great grandchild, and memories were made that will last forever. The cottage at Lake Pleasant was another space that was a gathering place for the family, and provided the family a multitude of memories. Shorty was the one with a love for lake life, but Mary Ellen left a huge impact there as well. She did the majority of the cleaning and child care, for all friends and family who would visit. She avoided the water and sun, but encouraged us all to enjoy the lake to the fullest. She also spent time with Shorty in Florida for parts of the year, and family would go visit and spend vacations with them in Fort Myers, another place with many cherished times for all of us. Mary Ellen was a member of Most Blessed Sacrament Church for 65 years and prioritized her relationship with God. She volunteered in the parish office for many years as well. Her more recent hobbies included puzzling, and when you dropped by to visit, odds were good that you’d find her and her home aide at the puzzle table. She was also tech savvy, and loved all the posts on Facebook, so we knew she was keeping up with us. She also loved texting, as well as her Skylight photo album, which friends and family used to upload pictures so she could see them. She kept this photo frame with constantly shuffling photos at her counter, and she watched it constantly and encouraged us to do the same to keep up with everyone as well as she did. Mary Ellen is preceded in death by her husband, Shorty (Eldred) Frame; her parents, John Arthur and Lucy Simon Zenk; her sisters, Monica (Paul) Ott, Joan (Larry) Brockway, Alice (Russ) Batey, John (Norma) Zenk, Kathleen (Jim) Carr; mother/father-in-law, Josephine and Marion Frame; infant, James Zenk; and sister-in-law, Anna Frame. Mary Ellen is survived by her children, Debbie (Don) Case, Ricky (Mary Jo) Frame, Rebecca (Art) Ingram, Vicky (Bill) Gall, and Cathy (Dennis) Jaworski; her grandchildren, Donnie (Melissa) Case, Derrick (Ellen) Case, Danielle (Alex) Tasich, Nicholas (Aimee) Frame, Tony (Holly) Frame, Lauren (Josh) Bailey, Beth (Nick) Ingram, Kim (Kaleb) Tobien, Lindsay (Brent) Cahill, BJ (Tiffany) Gall, Michael (Lizzy) Gall, Danielle (Mike) Jaworski, and Katie (Ricky) Jaworski; her great grandchildren, Lydia, Charlie and Kassidy Case, Finneas, Ewan and Everett Case, Emily and Hannah Frame, Charlie and Cameron Bailey, Isaiah White, Zeke Lewis, Nick Lewis, Henry and Maria Cahill, Josephine, Quinn, Isla, and William Gall, Penelope and Hugo Gall, Declan Dempsey, Michael Coleman and Xander Karmol. She is also survived by her brother-in-law, Butch (Diane) Frame. Mary Ellen is also survived by an enormous amount of nieces and nephews (Frames, Zenks, Otts, Bateys, Carrs, and Brockways), and even larger number of friends. A special thank you to her friend Hideko Burtch who has remained an important person in her life for many decades and stayed in contact. She loved all the visits, cards, gifts, emails and texts that so many of you thought to send or give her often. A very special thank you to her granddaughter Danielle Jaworski, and her great niece, Jodie Dunnigan, for the many hours of care, comfort and love they have provided over the last year. It meant a lot to Mary Ellen and her family knowing she was safe at home until the end, in loving hands. Thank you to Lori Kehres, eucharistic minister, for bringing her communion when she could no longer attend mass services. Thank you to Anita Hanus (cleaner) and Linda Folger (gardener) for years of committed service and friendship. Thank you to her neighbors who kept watch over her, and her caretakers from home care. Mom/GG, you are loved and will be missed greatly, but we know that you are with us always in the way we love and care for one another. Thank you for everything. Family and friend are invited to visit at Most Blessed Sacrament Church from 10-11am on Tuesday December 23, 2025, with a Mass of the Resurrection to follow at 11am. Private graveside services to follow luncheon. Per Mary Ellen’s request, in lieu of flowers a donation can be made in her memory to Most Blessed Sacrament Church Parish.

Mary Ellen Frame

March 8, 1934 - December 14, 2025