William (Bill) Neil Frakes, age 78, of Luverne, Minn., died Sept. 20, 2026, at the Veterans Hospital in Nashville, Tenn. Upon his death, the staff at the hospital did a code of honor procession through the halls of the ICU. A celebration of Bill’s life will be from 2 to 5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 24, at Take 16.
Bill was born on Sept. 8, 1948, to Neil and Annabelle Frakes in Luverne, Minn. He graduated from Luverne High School in 1966. After a year of college in Minneapolis, he entered the United States Army on Feb. 8, 1967, and served in Vietnam. He was honorably discharged on Dec. 18, 1968. After leaving the Army, he lived in California for a year where he worked as a mailman.
Bill moved back to Luverne in 1969 and worked with his dad in the water treatment business. He then opened his own business, Bill’s Water Conditioning, in 1971. Bill was an avid rock climber and enjoyed climbing the Blue Mounds State Park quarry many times. He also went to Devil’s Tower in Wyoming various times.
Bill married Nancy Rice Johnson on Aug. 31, 1979, at the Rock County Courthouse in Luverne. He acquired a son, Robert Johnson.
Bill had a passion for remodeling and renovating buildings including the Coffey Contemporary Arts and Luverne Family Dental buildings on Main Street. In addition, he purchased and remodeled 27 houses in Luverne, which he then rented out and eventually sold over the years.
The renovation project that Bill was best-known for was the purchase and renovation of the landmark Manitou Hotel in Luverne. The project began in 1989 with extensive demolition starting in the basement area and then moving to the main level area. He was working on the project in his spare time, mapping out the changes and slowly rebuilding those areas.
Bill enjoyed finding unique old items that he could incorporate into his stunning designs. He rescued more than 10,000 bricks, some from the old Papik’s building, some from an old home that was being demolished, some from Adrian, some from Iowa, etc. Another discovery of unique items Bill found and added to the basement garden room are the large red doors from the showroom of the old Papik’s building.
Bill was a very generous philanthropist who supported the Luverne community in many ways. He also took a great interest in the community and frequently shared his opinion with letters to the editor of the Rock County Star Herald.
Bill and Nancy’s exquisitely restored home was often open to special groups including Ken Burns and the PBS staff during the weekend of the premiere of “The War” at the Palace Theatre. They also offered a tour of their home as a special auction item for the Hospice Benefit. The home was also a part of the “Charlie Braa Christmas” fundraiser with numerous Christmas trees displayed throughout the home. And their home was always open to family and friends.
His greatest joy was playing bridge, cribbage and pinochle and socializing with friends. He enjoyed going to Take 16, where he achieved a personal record of sitting outside in a T-shirt and having one beer each month for 25 months in a row.
Bill is survived by his wife, Nancy, of 47 years; his mother, Annabelle Frakes; his son, Robert (Debbie) Johnson; his three grandchildren, Samantha (Francisco) Johnson, Alec Johnson and special friend Regina, and Riley Johnson; his siblings, Becky (Jerry) Sherwood, Beth (Paul) Koester, Barb (Dan) Mueller, and Robert “Skeeter” (Dawn) Frakes.
He was preceded in death by his father, Neil Frakes.
