Brother Francis Anthony Skube, OSF
Brother Francis Anthony Skube, OSF, 87, passed away on Monday morning, Sept. 26 at St. John’s Hospital.
He was the last surviving member of the John and Anna (Buedel) Skube and their 12 children. He is preceded in death by his parents, his brothers, John, William, Thomas and Edward, his sisters, Franciscan Sister M. Anna Skube OSF, Dominican Sister Aniceta Skube O.P., Anna Marie, Mary Virginia Murphy, Delores Phillips, Dorothy Henton, and Marcella Layton. He is survived by the three remaining members of his Community, who were with him in his last hours before meeting Our Lord, including Brother Daniel Embrich OSF formerly of Belleville, IL. Brother Kenneth Pinc, OSF, formerly of Cleveland, Ohio and Brother James Drangsholt, formerly of Chicago, IL. He is also survived by two sisters-in-law, Louise Skube, wife of John and Louise Skube, wife of Thomas in addition to many beloved nieces and nephews and grand nieces and nephews.
He attended his beloved Sacred Heart Church and School, where he was Baptized, received First Communion and Confirmation. He was an altar server and enjoyed ringing the church bells for services and Angelus. He also attended Cathedral Boys High School in Springfield for three years where he had great respect for the Viatorian Fathers who taught him.
He felt he had a calling to serve God in Religious Life and so in his senior year of High School he began his call to Religious Life and Novitiate at the Franciscan Monastery in Kenosha, Wisconsin. After some years he had a dream of starting his own foundation of Brothers where a boy could work and serve their own home Diocese instead of having to leave and go elsewhere. In 1961 Bishop Zuroweste DD of Belleville sponsored his proposal. Brother Francis taught elementary school in several parishes in the Diocese.
In 1975 as more members began to teach in schools his Community of Brothers moved to the Davenport, Iowa Diocese to have access to college education. He graduated from St Ambrose College with a degree in Elementary Education. In 1982 his community purchased the former Carmelite Convent on the hill in Bettendorf, Iowa where he used it as a residence and training for new candidates.
As time went on, he fulfilled another dream of opening a residence for seniors. His community built a congregate care residence for 68 people, known as St. Francis Woods. The community also sponsored 96-unit independent living apartments for seniors on the grounds surrounding the newly built St. Francis Monastery and Hospitality Center where it sponsored a fundraising indoor Christmas display, known as “Christmas Spectacular” which attracted thousands of people and hundreds of bus groups from the Midwest and where the Brothers served thousands of meals to their guests.
He was always proud of his encounters with two Saints of the Church. In 1979 when Pope John Paul II met with Brothers at St. Peter’s Church in Chicago he didn’t want to go and stand in line for 5 hours to get in but was encouraged by the Brothers. Pope John Paul led the Rosary for the Brothers during his visit. On the way out the Pope looked at Brother Francis on an end pew and reached over and handed him the Rosary he had just used to pray. This is the Rosary he will have with him at burial. In the 80’s when Mother Theresa was visiting the Diocese of Davenport, while greeting her he gave her a kiss and said, “Mother, You are a Saint!” She scolded him and said “That is not true, don’t ever say that.”
The Brothers had great respect for him. He was a kind, caring and loving man and always willing to help anyone with any problem. He was a hard worker and enjoyed cutting grass. He loved to travel and complete the day with a relaxing ride in the country. He enjoyed a good laugh and was known for his jokes and riddles. He loved to play Uno and Parcheesi every night for hours.
In 2010, upon retirement he and the remaining members of the Franciscan Brothers of Christ the King returned to the Springfield area to be close to his remaining brothers, sisters and family members still living
at that time.
Visitation: 4-7 pm, Wednesday, September 28, 2022 at Staab Funeral Home – Springfield. A prayer service and rosary will be held at 4 pm.
Visitation: 8:30 – 9:30 am, Thursday, September 29, 2022 at Staab Funeral Home -Springfield.
Funeral Mass: 10 am, Thursday, September 29, 2022 at Sacred Heart Church with Reverend Jim Isaacson officiating. Burial will follow at Calvary Cemetery.
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