After graduating from Madera High School in1953, Fran Kilgore enlisted in the Women's Army Corps on her 18th birthday for a two year assignment. After training she was assigned to the United States Military Academy, as the secretary to the Executive Officer of the facility. At West Point, she met and married Jack Daws, an Airborne Ranger, instructing cadets on survival skills, map reading and Hand -to-hand-combat. As was common with so many military families at that time, Jack was deployed to Vietnam on two separate occasions. Jack never returned from that second tour of duty and has been missing in Vietnam since 1966. Fran was instrumental in establishing F&K Rock and Sand. Fran has been actively involved in the Clovis Community for many years. She is past president of the Clovis Chamber of Commerce and served on the Board of Directors for twelve years. In 1991 she was honored as the Clovis Business Woman of the Year. In 1992, her company received the award for Woman-Owned Business Enterprise of the San Joaquin Valley. And Fran was honored as one of the Top Ten Business/Professional Women of the year by the Marjaree Mason Center in 1995.
Her devotion to veterans and their needs is evident in Fran's involvement with the American Legion for over twenty years. She has served as both Commander of the Cecil Cox Post 147 and District 14 Adjunct. She has played an instrumental role in the American Legion High School Oratorical Contest at the Post level and as Area Commissioner. She has also served as the California Commissioner for the program and Commissioner of Legislative Affairs for the 14th District of the American Legion. She also played a key role in fund raising for the American Legion and the Veterans Day Memorial Golf Tournament. In addition she organized and helped carry out the missions of the Clovis rodeo, Big Hat Days and Clovis Fest. She has also served in the Post 147 Honor Guard Rifle Squad, providing that final tribute at military funerals. She has served as a VA hospital volunteer and in the "No Veteran Dies Alone" program, dedicated to ensuring that every veteran has someone by their side when they are in their final hours.
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