Donald Max Frailey (81) of Brownstown

Donald Max Frailey, 81, of Brownstown, died at 12:53 a.m. Saturday, January 15, 2022, at Fayette County Hospital, Vandalia.

Graveside services will be at 11:00 a.m., Saturday, January 22, 2022 at Forbis Cemetery, rural Brownstown. Memorials may be made to Forbis Cemetery, c/o of Russell Sidwell, 1332 East 2075th Avenue, Brownstown, IL 62418 . Gieseking Funeral Home, Brownstown is assisting the family with arrangements.

Max was born on Sunday, October 13, 1940 in Vandalia, Il to Carl and Edna (Willms) Frailey. Max graduated from Brownstown High School in 1958, and he joined the US Marines upon graduation. He was married to Jo-Ellen (Stine) Frailey on December 8, 1962. He was a life-long grain and cattle farmer, and he had been an overhead crane operator at Granite City Steel for over 40 years.

Throughout his life he was mechanically inclined to build and repair equipment; while in high school he adapted a tractor to function as a bulldozer, and much later he converted a school bus to a large hay wagon. He had interests in riding his Harley Davidsons, quail hunting, arrowhead hunting, and fishing. He enjoyed the comradery of being a good neighbor and having good neighbors by helping one another when called upon. In the last several years, he developed important friendships over breakfast at Waltrip’s Corner and Mary Ann’s restaurants. However, when grandchildren were in town, they got his full attention. The grandchildrens’ favorite memories of their grandpa are jumping on hay bales, feeding cows, watching judge shows on TV, jumping and climbing on mattresses, flying kites, riding ATV and tractors, fishing, and playing school.

He is survived by: his son, Scott (Anna Sheyko) Frailey of Champaign; daughter, Shelly Seaman of Brownstown; brothers, Jim (Dorothy) Frailey of Makanda and David Frailey of Olathe, KS; sister, Janet (Noble) McGee of Atlanta, GA; 3 grandchildren, Sydney Seaman, Sophia Sheyko-Frailey and Garrick Sheyko-Frailey; and several nieces and nephews.

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