Rancher and community leader Hank Frawley dies at age 80

Hank Frawley with Elaine Albrecht's painting of the James Anderson ranch.

by Larry Miller

Life-long northern Black Hills rancher and civic leader Hank Frawley died April 22 at home on his beloved Centennial Valley ranch.

A third-generation pioneer of Lawrence County, Hank was a gentle man with a passion for preserving and sharing the history of this region.  He was particularly proud of of the Frawley ranches that stretched from one end of Centennial Valley to the other just east of Spearfish.  One of those was the James Anderson ranch (shown in the photo above).

His grandfather was Henry Frawley, pioneer attorney and rancher who was among the first arrive in the rip-roaring days of early Deadwood.  His grandfather was as colorful character as you would find among the cast of characters who contributed to the history of the old west.

It was that story that led Hank to ask me some years ago to create a video about his grandfather.  Getting to know Hank and his wife, Molly, while working on that project was a blessing.  I know of no one who loved his family and his roots any more than this "gentle giant" of a man, whom I was proud to call a friend. 

Tom Griffith wrote this fine story about Hank for the Rapid City Journal:

Northern Hills mourns loss of Hank Frawley 

Griffith wins carving

During a late October (10/29) luncheon recognizing volunteers at the Western Heritage Cultural Center in Spearfish, a beautiful moose antler carving created by Tony Ramer was presented to Nyla Griffith of Deadwood. Her winning raffle ticket was selected on October 18th as part of a fundraiser for the center.

Ramer, at left in this photo, grew up in North Dakota but now lives in Custer. He has been carving antlers since he was a young boy and has been making a living at it since 1981. This piece was inspired by a Charles Russell water color entitled “A Moment of Great Peril in a Cowboy’s Career.”

It was a pleasant surprise for Griffith, who’s been heavy on the campaign trail as a legislative candidate for the District #31 South Dakota State Senate seat. The campaign is down to less than a week. She is shown here with her husband, Tom. They are owners of TDG Communications in Deadwood.

Many of the more than 40 volunteers at the High Plains Western Heritage Center attended the luncheon – and they were given a heartfelt thanks by center Executive Director Peggy Ables.

In a previously posted photo gallery, we included a few candid shots taken around the museum when the Spearfish Area Historical Society met there last year. Just follow this link and scroll down.