Frank D. Korshoj, age 91 of Herman, passed away Feb. 1, 2024, at Good Shepherd Lutheran Community in Blair. Funeral services will be held Thursday, Feb. 8, at 11 a.m. at First Lutheran Church in Blair. A time of lunch and fellowship will follow the service. Following lunch military graveside services will be held at 2 p.m. at the Herman Cemetery. Visitation will be held Wednesday Feb. 7 from 6 to 8 p.m. at Campbell Aman Funeral Home in Blair.
Frank was born Oct. 17, 1932, to Chris and Esther (Madsen) Korshoj in their family home in Herman, Nebraska. He was the youngest of five siblings. He had two brothers, Raymond and Earl and two sisters, Betty and Marilyn. He attended Herman Public Schools for 12 years and graduated in 1950.
Upon graduation, he joined his father in the retail lumber business. His father insisted Frank go to college, but Frank said “NO." Frank remained in the lumber business until he sold out in 1994 He was absent from the business just 2 times. From 1953-1955 he served in the U.S. Army and from 1987-1990 he served in the Nebraska legislature. Frank was a lifelong member of First Lutheran Church in Blair and a member of the American Legion Jackson Peck Post #274 in Herman since 1955. In 1949 Frank went to Blair and played on their legion baseball team, he played left field and batted leadoff. This was the first time a Blair team had reached state tourney heights. Of the four teams at the tournament, Frank was the only player to get five hits. He loved baseball and often said the summer of 1949 may have been the best summer of his life.
In 1953 Frank was drafted into the U.S. Army and took his basic training at Ft. Riley, Kansas. When his 16 weeks of basic training was over on July 3, 1953, the entire rifle company was on orders to Korea. The U.S. Government had a tentative agreement for a cease fire, so the entire company’s orders were put on hold, and they were given an addition eight weeks of training. The cease fire was signed on July 27, 1953. The rifle company members were then assigned to go many different places, some were still sent to Korea. Frank, however, was sent to Ft. Benning, Georgia, to complete leadership training, where he was then assigned to S-1 Personnel of Brigade Headquarters. After working in personnel for several months he talked the officer in charge into letting him go to Germany for his final year in the Army. He was assigned to Headquarters First Infantry Division and worked in G-1 personnel. By being stationed in Germany it gave Frank the opportunity to make several trips to Denmark to visit his grandmother, four uncles, one aunt and dozens of cousins.
In 1986, he ran for the Nebraska State Legislature. He beat all the odds and won in a six-person race. He never thought he had any chance to win, and really did not want to win. A group of Blair and Tekamah citizens had finally talked him into running. After several months of trying to get him to run, he finally filed to run the next to last possible day. Big Mistake…. Frank considered himself an ineffective Senator but did have great rapport with his constituents. After his third session he decided to throw a free summer picnic, on July 23, 1989, in the Herman ballpark and called it a “fun raiser.” Well low and behold 3,000 people showed up. He was later told by a couple of lobbyists that there has never been a turnout of the magnitude to any State Senator function. He was very proud of his “fun raiser.” He served from 1987 to 1990 in the legislature. Reelection would have been a “slam dunk” for him, but he had always stated that being in the Legislature was not his “cup of tea."
Frank earned several awards over the years including, the AK-SAR-BEN Good Neighbor Citation, the Dana College Community Service Award, Mid-American Lumber Association Outstanding Lumberman, and the Independent Lumber Dealers Association Golden 2X4 Award, in recognition of 44 years of continuous service.
Frank was preceded in death by his parents, brothers Raymond and Earl, and his sister Marilyn. He is survived by his sister Betty Megrue, and special friend Carol Brummond and her 20 grandkids and great grandkids, which were his god children, along with his many nieces, nephews, and countless friends.
Memorials may be directed to First Lutheran Church in Blair, the Herman Community Church, or the Herman American Legion.
Services provided by Campbell Aman Funeral Home, 444 S. 17th Street, Blair, NE www.campbellaman.com
