JERSEYVILLE - The City of Jerseyville has experienced a great loss following the death of Franny Fosha.
Known as “everyone’s grandma,” Franny was a business owner in Jerseyville. But more than that, she was a friend to all. Her loved ones said she lived well and loved hard.
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“She was just a downright good person,” said Kathy Smith, her daughter. “The community is pretty much everything, and they’ve been awesome through this so far. The love she had was unreal.”
In 1980, Franny opened the Donut Kitchen on Highway 16, then eventually expanded to Fran and Marilyn’s on State Street. Her pie-baking was “phenomenal,” with people traveling from across the Midwest to enjoy her pastries. After the restaurant was sold, Franny would often spend her days at DJ’s Pub & Grill, owned by Kathy, to make pies to share with the community.
Allen Fosha, Franny’s son, remembers the farmers who would come in every morning before Fran and Marilyn’s opened to sip coffee and chat with Franny. He laughed when recalling the night when Franny danced on the bar at Coyote Ugly in Nashville, and the “F&M Tech” that so many young people joked about while working at Fran and Marilyn’s.
“That’s the kind of friendship that she created with everybody. I don’t think you’re going to find too many people that don’t have their own little anecdotes about my mom,” he said. “Everybody she met, she became an instant friend. You were never a stranger. She just was so sweet and kind to everybody.”
Franny loved bowling, brought cookies to bingo, and always had candy to offer her regulars and the kids she encountered. She cared deeply for the U.S. military and often sent care packages overseas. She was also an “honorary member” of the Jerseyville American Legion Color Guard and championed their work.
As a dedicated coach, Franny met Linda Eads through softball, then welcomed her to work at the restaurant. They became fast friends.
“She was like a sister to me,” Eads said. “The lady had a heart of gold…Jerseyville was her family. There wasn’t a soul that didn’t know her. She just did anything and everything for the community.”
Franny and her husband, Dick, served as youth sponsors at Peace United Church of Christ in Jerseyville for many years. They also created intricate parade floats for Fourth of July, many of which won “Best in Show” honors. Both were committed to “charity and community.”
Following the 1999 death of her son, Jimmy, Franny created the Jimmy Fosha Golf Tournament to honor him and help others. Other people were always at the forefront of the work she did.
Kathy added that Franny “loved life” and lived it to the fullest. She will be deeply missed by everyone in Jerseyville, as everyone knew and loved her.
“My dad was in the military, and we camped a lot as kids. If you’ve ever been a scout or in the military or a child of either, the last thing you do before you leave the campground is, okay, it’s time to clean it up. And it was always, you leave the place better than you found it,” Allen said. “That’s the best thing I can say about Mom. She left the place better.”
Visitation will be held from 4 to 7 p.m., Thursday, June 5, 2025 at Crawford Funeral Home in Jerseyville, where funeral services will be conducted at 11 a.m. on Friday, June 6, 2025.
To read Frances “Franny” Fosha’s full obituary, click here.
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