Frank L. Michl, age 73, of Santa Paula, California passed away on August 25 1997. Frank the oldest son of Frank C. and Lydia Michl was born in Noble Ill. grew up in Olney and graduated from Olney Township High School in 1941. He married Helen Louise Paris in 1943.

Frank was the father of six children: Beverly, Stephen, Keith, Mary, Frank J. and John. He joined the United States Naval Construction Battalion and served in the South Pacific during World War II. While in the 'Seabees' he had the opportunity to hone his skills at making something from nothing by making pieces of fine furniture from the oak packing crates and palettes used to ship machinery and heavy equipment. His superior officers were so taken by his skills that they were very reluctant to let him muster out even after his tour of duty was ended.

After his discharge from the armed services he started working in the oil patch as a roughneck and eventually became a driller for Loffland Brothers in Utah. This job was to have a profound influence on his entire life and would lead to his opening Michl Oilfield Gauge Repair in Santa Paula in 1969.

Upon his first visit to Santa Paula in 1953 he said to Helen "This is the place" and moved here in 1954 with wife and children in a new 1954 Chevy Station Wagon with a Crosley in tow being steered by two canaries named "Ike and Mamie." After a couple of years in Santa Paula it was time for the oil patch to move on and good drillers were needed elsewhere but Frank decided to stay. He bought a home and took a job with the United States Post Office as a mail carrier. He remained with the Postal Service for 23 years but always missed the oil business. While still working for the Postal Service he purchased a dead weight tester and installed it in a closet sized dark room. He did gauge calibration for Arco the one client that came with the tester. Over the years he built up the business by fixing the unfixable and making something from the nothing that is left after some "roughneck" puts 10000 PSI on a 100 PSI gauge. His reputation as "Mr. Gauge" grew and the business grew; when he retired from the Post Office he had a full-time job to retire to. This part-time job started in a closet in 1969 had become Michl Gauge Sales and Service Inc. with clients from coast to coast. Even with all this work he found the time to develop a passion for square dancing and he danced with Helen regularly throughout Southern California. He organized dances and classes in the Santa Paula area for many years. He was often spotted driving his 1923 Ford Model T in parades and events around town or on his way to Familia Diaz to order his favorite lunch a "number 13 with no beans." He lived in Santa Paula for 43 years and added his own brand of community spirit to the mix.

Frank was preceded in death by his youngest son John.

He is survived by his wife Helen; brother Richard; sister Marilyn; aunt Amanda; five of his children; 13 grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.

Published in Ventura County Star (CA) - August 27, 1997