A helping hand during trying times; Jon Francis Foundation works to pass legislation; help families find missing loved ones
After 36 hours, authorities told Brian Swanson they were giving up the search for his 19-year-old son Brandon, who went missing near Taunton, Minn., on May 14.
Faced with the difficult task of continuing the search on his own, Swanson turned to Stillwater resident David Francis, who endured a similar ordeal when his son Jon went missing in 2006 and has since founded the Jon Francis Foundation to help families find loved ones lost in the wilderness.
At an annual fundraiser for Stillwater area Boy Scouts at the Lowell Inn on Thursday morning, Francis outlined the latest efforts of the foundation, which he said was founded "to mold our sorrow into hope and purpose."
Francis is now working with Swanson to pass legislation that would require a quicker response when young adults are reported missing.
The bill, known as "Brandon's Law," was previously passed unanimously by the state House of Representatives; the state Senate approved it unanimously on Thursday.
Francis and Swanson hope Gov. Tim Pawlenty will sign the bill on May 14, a year after Brandon Swanson disappeared. The JFF is helping fund the law enforcement training associated with the bill; without that funding, Francis said, the bill likely would not have received full support from lawmakers.
For Swanson - who has stayed with Francis and his wife Linda when he has been in the Twin Cities to support the bill - the help from the Jon Francis Foundation has been invaluable.
"They've helped us get a hold of people who know how to get things in order to conduct a search," Swanson said. "(Francis) has also helped us with some of the emotional issues; helping us work through our grief."
Jon's story
Francis began his presentation Thursday by showing family photos of Jon and spoke of his son's love of the outdoors and commitment to his faith.
A member of the 1997 Stillwater Area High School state champion track team and three-sport athlete, Jon also ran at Augustana College, where he earned degrees in Spanish, international studies and religion. Jon found his calling in religion and became a youth minister at Luther Heights Bible Camp near Ketchum, Idaho, in 2006.
After Jon's passing, those who worked with him told the family, "Your son was a gift ... he had an authentic faith," Francis said.
As an avid outdoorsman, Jon became a "very capable mountain climber," Francis said. Jon went missing during a solo climb up the rugged, 9,733-foot Grand Mogul peak in Idaho's Sawtooth Mountains.
"We were thrown into deep darkness and despair," he said.
When local search efforts were called off, Francis continued on his own and, with the help of volunteers, found Jon's remains on July 24, 2007.
At the time, Francis expressed his frustration with Idaho authorities, one of whom told him that he should simply accept that Jon would never be found.
"We could not give our son up to the mountain," Francis said.
Since then, Francis has turned the tragedy into an opportunity, founding the JFF as a way to educate and support other families facing similar situations. He has also written a book, "Bringing Jon Home: A Father's Journey of Unconditional Love and Unresolved Loss."
A logbook atop Grand Mogul captured Jon's final words: "07/15/06. Jon Francis, *LHBC and Ogden Utah. Climbed avalanche field to east face and east ridge. Great times bouldering! All Glory to God for the climb and the beautiful Sawtooths."
"I know he was close to the creator at the summit," Francis said.
Still running
Jon Francis and his father often participated in Lumberjack Days races, and when news of a Stillwater marathon broke, Francis approached organizer Dave Eckberg about naming one of the events after his late son.
"It's great that we're able to honor the Francis family," Eckberg said."(Jon) was just such a spectacular young man and an amazing person."
As a young man, Jon's running hero was Steve Prefontaine, who is often credited with sparking the running boom in the 1970s.
"Jon was a frontrunner, he would get out front and leave nothing on the track," Francis said.
Francis started to train for the half marathon, but some thought he would be better served as a greeter.
"That gave me an excuse not to run," he said.
The Stillwater Marathon will be held Sunday, May 24. For more information visit www.stillwatermarathon.com.
Scouting
While Francis gave the keynote address during Thursday morning's fundraiser, speaker Jack Piepel, a retired Andersen Windows vice president, talked about the benefits of Scouting.
Scouting activities help young people learn how to better interact and solve problems, tools they will need as they become tomorrow's leaders, Piepel said. And the community projects of Eagle Scouts are especially helpful during the current economic strife, he said.
Stillwater Mayor Ken Harycki, donning his Scout uniform, also praised Scouts' work and the dedication of adult volunteers. He also mentioned Councilman Jim Roush's son, who is planning to build a canoe launch on Stillwater's Lake McKusick as part of an Eagle Scout project. Harycki's son, who is also pursuing his Eagle badge, is looking into updating the decorative snowflakes that adorn the lampposts in downtown Stillwater during the winter months.
As for Francis, he was a Cub Scout for one year; Jon lasted two.
"They didn't play enough baseball and football," he said.
Lowell Inn owner Dick Anderson provided the facility and breakfast for Thursday's event.
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