Former City Official Dead in House Fire With Wife
Roger Frances was the public works superintendent for 25 years in Umatilla before retiring in 2013. He loved restoring old cars and motorcycles. He and his wife Ruth died from a fire in their home on Sunday.
Roger was 67 and Ruth was 68. They lived at 125 John Day Street, which sustained minimal damage from flames, but firefighters said the couple perished from the heat and smoke. They are calling it an accident, although the cause of the fire is unknown and police are investigating.
The fire occurred in the afternoon and the Frances' bodies were found about 5 p.m.
According to Roger's Facebook, he was originally from Santa Rosa, California and attended Cardinal Newman High School. He retired from the City of Umatilla in 2013.