LANSING, Ill. (December 16, 2023) – Let’s be frank about it, generations of the CJ Frank family were well known residents who were actively involved in the Lansing community and businesses. They not only helped with financial services, but they volunteered for many local activities.
The original CJ wasn’t called CJ
It all began with Christian John Frank Sr., who was born in 1852 in Granesbieth, Grimman, Germany. He emigrated to the United States in 1871 at age 19. He first settled in Thornton and invested in farmland. Christian John was known as Christ, not CJ. He didn’t have anything to do with starting the CJ Frank businesses, but his son and namesake did.
Christian married Miss Frederica Koehn of Bloom Township, and they had five sons: John, Charles, Fred, Christian, and Paul. After Frederica’s death, Christian remarried in 1921 to Louise Faul of Hammond, Indiana, and acquired five stepchildren: Margaret, Louise, Anna, Emma, and Charles.
Christian John died on April 28, 1929, of plural pneumonia at the age of 78. Services were held at his residence on Thornton Road. Christian and his first wife Frederica were buried in Oak Glen Cemetery. The German engraving on the large stone marker is now worn and difficult to read, but the Frank name at the base is prominent.
The second CJ started the business
Christian John’s son, Christian John, was born in 1890 and became known as CJ. CJ attended Thornton High School and graduated in 1909. He did some farming in the Oak Glen section of Lansing before going to work at the Lansing Building and Loan Association that was founded in 1927.
Around 1929 CJ founded his own real estate and insurance company while continuing to serve as secretary and treasurer of the Lansing Building and Loan. There was a huge building boom in Lansing in 1938 — 94 new homes were built. Of those 94, 31 were sold by CJ Frank. All but 5 of those 31 homes were financed through the Housing Administration by the Lansing Building and Loan Association. CJ had been elected as secretary-treasurer of the Building and Loan in 1931.
The CJ Frank building and the CJ Frank family
About 1951, CJ moved his business into the building at 3423 Ridge Road to accommodate the Insurance/Real Estate/License Plate part of his business. According to real estate records, that building was constructed in 1920.
CJ and his wife Clara had one son, Calvin, and three daughters, Marion (Elmer) Schultz, Lorraine (H,J) McClain and Clarice (Sam) Fazio. The family became gave of their time and talent to many community endeavors in Lansing. CJ served as treasurer at the Lutheran Church congregation and was chairman of St. John’s Lutheran Church.
Clara founded the Lansing Health Council and Loan Closet. She ran it for 30 years providing hospital beds, wheelchairs, crutches, and other medical equipment to Lansing residents in need of them. Upon her death in 1969, daughter Clarice Frank Fazio took over the responsibilities.
During the last four years of CJ’s life, he was joined in business by his son Calvin. Upon CJ’s death in 1954, Calvin took over the Savings and Loan, and Clarice took over CJ Frank & Son in a joint partnership.
From CJ to Calvin Frank
Before 1951, CJ ran the insurance/real estate/license remittance agency with Freddy Schultz. When Calvin Frank returned to Lansing after serving in the Korean War, he took over Freddy’s position and worked with his dad.
In 1957, the Building and Loan name was changed to Lansing Savings and Loan. Federal regulations required the Savings and Loan to have a distinct space, independent from other businesses. The Frank family complied by building a partition down the center of the large room. An opening allowed access to both sides without going outdoors. A second exit door was installed right next to the existing door and given the address of 3425, affording two addresses to one building. A vault and safety deposit boxes were installed on the bank side, and those remain functional to this day.
In late October 1963 Calvin Frank, the managing officer, moved the Savings and Loan to a new building at 18207 Burnham Avenue. CJ Frank & Son took over both sides of the building on Ridge.
The new bank building
The new Savings and Loan building was styled along “Japanese Colonial” lines and cost $103,000. With a new modern building, the institution added more services and increased full-time employees from 12 to 15. The business that started in 1927 as Lansing Building and Loan, in 1957 received insurance of accounts through the Federal Saving and Loan Insurance Corporation. In 1962 it became known as Lansing Savings and Loan. The name was changed to Lansing Federal Savings and Loan in 1971. Today it is known as First Savings Bank of Hegewisch.
Calvin Frank and his résumé
Calvin, as president of the Savings and Loan, was also an energetic community and civic worker. He served at various times as:
- President and managing officer of the Lansing Federal Savings and Loan Association
- Founder and member of the Board of Directors of the Bank of Lansing
- Member and past president of the Illinois Savings and Loan League
- Partner of CJ Frank & Son Real Estate and Insurance Company
- Charter member and past president of the Lansing Rotary Club (with 11 years perfect attendance)
- Charter member and past president of the Lansing Chamber of Commerce
- Member of the Lansing Board of Realtors
- Member of TF South’s Scholarship Foundation
- President of the South Cook Council Service Corp
- President of the Trinity Lutheran School Board
Calvin married Meryll, nee Blocker, from Lansing, and they had two children, Corrie and Melanie. Meryll also was active in the community as a Girl Scout leader, an active Rotary Ann in the Lansing Rotary Club, and active member of Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church in Lansing.
Calvin died on October 23, 1973, at age 45, while golfing in Peoria, Illinois. He was attending an Illinois Savings and Loan League graduate seminar where he was the education committee chairman and master of ceremonies. Meryll later remarried to Harold Ritthaler.
In November of 1989, Calvin was commemorated for his involvement in civic and community contributions when the library board of the Lewis O. Flom Lansing Public Library named its community room in his memory.
Clarice Frank Fazio and her résumé
Calvin’s sister Clarice had worked in the family business since she was 18 years old and fresh out of high school. It seemed fitting that she would take over the CJ Frank business upon Calvin’s death.
Like those who went before her, Clarice was active in the community, including these roles:
- Coordinator of the Loan Closet, taking over after her mother Clara died
- Director of the Chamber of Commerce from 1983 to 1985
- Winner of the Chamber’s Athena award for community service in 1989
- Director of the Lansing Savings and Loan
- Member of the Bank of Lansing Board of Directors
- Member of the Lansing Rotary Club
- Recipient of the Paul Harris Fellow, an honor for outstanding community service
- Chaired of the Lansing Health Council and Lansing Well Baby Clinic
- Member of Our Savior Lutheran Church
Clarice was married to Sam Fazio who operated a barber shop in Lansing, and they had three daughters. Upon Clarice’s passing in 1990, CJ Frank & Son was run by those daughters: Joanne Fazio-Gosser, Janine Fazio, and Gloria Fazio. The business was managed by Larry Gosser, Clarice’s son-in-law. In 1998 the business was sold to Calvin’s daughter, Melanie Frank Sterbenc.
No one in the Frank family owns the business or the building today. The business was sold in 2008 and the building was sold in 2013. Several businesses have since then operated from the building now known as the CJ Frank building, some as owners, others as renters. Most recently the building was occupied by Dream Vacations and Elegant Design Photography, but as of this writing the space is vacant and the historic CJ Frank building is for sale.
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