Franz Hartwig Walter Siemsen, M.D., 85
Franz Hartwig Walter Siemsen, M.D., 85, passed away peacefully at his home in Sandpoint, Idaho, on Tuesday, June 9, 2009, after a long courageous battle with Parkinson’s.
Viewing for friends and family will be held Wednesday, June 17 from 1-6 p.m. at the Lakeview Funeral Home.
Funeral services will be held at 1 p.m., Thursday, June 18, at the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Sandpoint. Military honors will follow at Pinecrest Cemetery.
Dr. Franz Siemsen was born the fifth child to Herman and Auguste (Hartwig) Siemsen on Oct. 4, 1923, at the home ranch near Roundup, Mont. The family of seven moved to Idaho and settled in the Winchester area when Franz was seven. He grew up on the farm and attended the Golden Ridge elementary school outside of Winchester. He graduated in 1942 from Yakima Valley Academy before entering the Pre Med program at Walla Walla College. He received his doctorate in medicine from Loma Linda University in 1950.
In his first year of medical school, he met a vivacious nursing student. Franz married Doris Donaldson on Dec. 18, 1947, in Santa Anna, Calif. He served his internship at Deaconess Hospital in Spokane, Wash., prior to beginning his medical practice in Sandpoint in 1951.
Dr. Siemsen was the fifth doctor to move into the area and on the November 1951 opening day, the waiting room was filled to capacity. That trend continued throughout his career.
In 1953, Dr. Siemsen was drafted into the United States Air Force. He served his country for two years while stationed in Moses Lake, Wash. He returned home to Sandpoint and continued to practice medicine for more than 50 years.
Dr Siemsen was dedicated to his patients. For years he not only worked long hours at the office, but many evenings he carried his trusty medical bag on house calls.
Once in the middle of a winter blizzard, he received a call from a woman in premature labor. Dr. Siemsen drove as close as he could get to the house, walked a half mile through the snow drifts, bundled up the preemie, tucked the newborn under his coat and returned through the drifts in his rush to the hospital.
Another time when a freight train was stopped blocking the road to town Dr. Siemsen left his car on the side of the road and crawled over the flatbed railcar with crutches and a full length leg cast. He hitched a ride into town in a passing truck and arrived at the hospital just in time to deliver Dr. Rust’s eighth child.
The following week this story was told on the popular Paul Harvey radio program. Nothing could stop him in his determination and passion to give his patients the best possible care.
Dr. Siemsen was a member of Sandpoint Seventh-day Adventist Church where he served as an elder for many years. He supported the mission emphasis of his church and twice he donated his skills and time to serve in mission hospitals in Sierra Leone and Malawi.
While in Africa he saw hundreds of patients with medical needs and performed many, many surgeries with Doris, his wife and nurse, at his side. He also visited and supported ministries in Mexico.
Dr. Siemsen was a strong believer in education and supported the local church school, Sandpoint Junior Academy, as well as assisting numerous students financially in obtaining a Christian education.
Family times were highly valued. When he worked, he worked hard and when it was family time, he played hard. Sun Valley, camping, water sports, biking, snow skiing and traveling with his wife and children and later his extended family and grandchildren were all special times.
Creating relationships and good memories were important. He had an awesome sense of humor and loved to have a good laugh.
One of his favorite ways to introduce his wife and family was “I’d like you to meet my first wife, Doris, and our children. We still vacation together.” He enjoyed growing a picture-perfect garden and baking sweet rolls and the beautiful and delicious prune-filled wreath for Christmas morning breakfast.
Dr. Siemsen’s love, passion and support for his family, church and community was well known. He will be greatly missed. His sincere desire is to be reunited at the Great Reunion when Jesus comes again.
He is survived by his wife of 61 years, Doris Siemsen of Sandpoint; two daughters, Debbie (Lawrence) Letniak of Veteran, Alberta, Canada, and Patti (Steve) Schultz of Post Falls, Idaho; and two sons, Donald (Cyndie) Siemsen of Tillamook, Ore., and David (Sue) Siemsen of Newport, Wash; 10 grandchildren, Heather, Ryan, Kevin, Jodi, Nicole, Sydney, Jacob, Spencer, Tanner and Samantha and one sister, Irmgard Hooper of College Place, Wash. He was preceded in death by his parents; one brother, Walter; and two sisters, Hildegard Patch and Ruth Robinson.
Memorial donations may be made to Sandpoint Jr. Academy, 2255 W. Pine St, Sandpoint, ID 83864.
Lakeview Funeral Home in Sandpoint is handling the arrangements. Please visit Dr. Siemsen’s online memorial at www.lakeviewfuneral.com and sign his guest book.