Margaret Frances "Frankie" Zittel Lienau

NORTON, VT – Margaret Frances “Frankie” Zittel Lienau passed away on Friday, July 10, 2009, after a long and courageous battle with cancer. She was at home, surrounded by her friends and family. Frankie was an educator with degrees from Bowling Green State University in Ohio, a Master’s degree from UVM, and a Certificate of Advanced Graduate Studies from Castleton State College. She was the recipient of the prestigious Golden Apple Award in 2006. After more than 20 years of teaching, she was honored to serve as the Special Services Coordinator for Essex North Supervisory Union in Canaan, VT. She is survived by her husband Mark, and two children, Donny and Becky; her brother John, from Golden, Colorado; her Aunt Dorothy and cousins Jandi Olmsted, Charles Dubois, Barbara Bertram and Andrea Crowley, and their loving families. She is also survived by an attitude. Those of you who were her students knew her attitude. She believed that you could accomplish any task set before you. She wouldn’t show you the way, but she showed you how to find it for yourself. She approached her illness the same way. She knew the odds, but she fought to beat them and encouraged all those around her to do their best to help her beat them. That was the way she lived her life. Her family thanks all those who were with us in these trying times. From the Beecher Falls firemen, who helped us put up our wood last fall and helped transport her, to our friends from The Balsams who cooked so much food for us, to all our friends and neighbors and our colleagues who donated time, food, gas money, and lent us an ear as we worked through this. Thanks also to all the workers at North Country Hospital, and at the Norris Cotton Cancer Center North. Thanks to her doctors, Josh Gliener, Dr. Trembley, Dr. Lockridge, Dr. Marshall, Dr. Meredith, Dr. Sisson and Dr.Peck, and to all the doctors who were there for us and took those late night phone calls and eased our fears. Thanks to all the nurses, those in the ER, the OR and recovery room, the third floor nurses, and especially the nurses in Oncology. Thanks to all the lab technicians and diagnostic imaging technicians, and the radiation therapy technicians who we got to know so well. And thanks especially to all the people behind the scenes, from nutritionists and chefs to the housekeepers who always asked if they could do anything more for us. Their professionalism, support, love, and skills are without equal, and Frankie believed in them all the way to the end. A short memorial service will be held on Saturday, July 18th, at 11:00 am, in the meadow behind the Lienau house in Norton, VT. Bring a lawn chair and wear your walking shoes--it may be muddy. Expressions of sympathy in memory of Frankie may be made to the Two Rivers Ride for Cancer, c/o Rosemary Mulliken at The First Colebrook Bank, 132 Main Street, Colebrook, NH 03576. Condolences may be offered to the family on-line by going to www.jenkinsnewman.com. Assisting the family is Jenkins & Newman Funeral Home, Colebrook, NH.

Margaret Frances "Frankie" Zittel Lienau

January 26, 1960 - July 10, 2009