December 30, 1944 – July 9, 2025
Frances Trudey Celindro, age 80, of Forest City, Iowa, passed away peacefully at her home, surrounded by family, on July 9th, 2025.
Family and friends are invited to celebrate Fran’s life on Sunday, July 13th, 2025, from 1:00 – 4:00 P.M. at Schott Funeral Home, 505 North Clark St., Forest City, Iowa.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to the Frances Celindro memorial fund in care of the family.
Fran was born on December 30th, 1944, in Jacksonville, Florida, the eldest daughter of Robert and Mary Lena (Furman) Owens. She was one of twelve siblings and grew up surrounded by the love and chaos of a big family. Jacksonville is also where she met the love of her life, Jovencio Manas Celindro Sr., also known as Ben. Their love story was truly one for the ages—they met one day and were married the very next, on September 8th, 1961.
While living in Florida, Fran and Ben welcomed their first three children: Melinda, Elenita, and Jovencio Jr. (Joven). The family later moved to San Diego, California, where they welcomed their fourth child, Frankie. They spent 27 happy years in San Diego, where Fran worked proudly at Thrifty Drug for ten years. Eventually, Fran and Ben relocated to the Philippines, during this time they fell in love with and adopted their youngest son, Nikko. In 1999, the family moved to Forest City, Iowa, where Fran lived the rest of her life.
Among Fran’s proudest roles was being “Nana”—a name she and Papa lovingly answered to for their 13 grandchildren. To family and friends alike, Fran and Ben were always “Nana and Papa.” They were inseparable; wherever Nana went, Papa was never far behind.
Fran loved everyone she was blessed to encounter with her full-of-life personality and sassy attitude. She had a quick wit, loved music and dancing, and rarely missed a chance to express her joy. Her signature red nails and undeniable strength left an impression on everyone who met her, often leaving behind her lipstick stain on your cheek. Over the years, her family grew to include many great-grandchildren across Iowa, California, Arizona, Oklahoma, and New York, each of whom brought her immense joy and will all miss her dearly.
Fran is survived by her devoted husband of 64 years, Jovencio “Ben” Celindro, and their five children:
* Melinda Carpenter (Forest City, IA)
* Elenita Celindro (Forest City, IA)
* Joven (and wife, Kelly) Celindro (San Diego, CA)
* Frankie (and wife, Letissa) Celindro (Dana Point, CA)
* Nikko Celindro (Waterloo, IA)
She is also survived by her beloved grandchildren and her many great-grandchildren.
Fran was preceded in death by her parents, nine of her siblings, and her son-in-law, William “Bill” Carpenter.
Her memory, laughter, and love will live on in the hearts of all who knew her.
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