Crete Cayula Briggs-

Crete was born in Plattsmouth, NE and lived there until she was about nine years old. The family moved to Salem, IA, where Crete's father started the first telephone company in that town. After a time, the family moved back to Plattsmouth again.

Crete graduated from Plattsmouth High School when she was sixteen. Then she attended the University of Nebraska at Lincoln for about three years. After that, she taught a one-room school outside of Plattsmouth. She rode a horse to the school and had to start a fire in a stove so that everyone could keep warm.

Following that, she taught school in West Point, NE and later in the Omaha, NE public schools. Her last position was to teach manual training and the skill of handwriting. Manual training meant simple woodworking for boys and needlework for girls. In those years, it was rare for a married woman to teach school, so when she married, she retired from that occupation.

After she married Fred Franzen, the couple had three girls. Crete was a skilled dressmaker and kept the girls in clothing for many years.

She also taught Sunday School at Kountze Memorial Lutheran Church and was active in other church affairs.

In her later years, she began oil painting and created a number of outstanding works.