National Hardwood Magazine - January 2021

Cole Continued
Throughout his life, even to the end, Milt kept a very
strong faith. Always remaining positive, he felt incredibly
blessed and grateful for the life he lived, the people he
loved, and the community that shared such a special
place in his heart.
His recognitions include receiving the Logansport Exchange
Club’s “Book of Golden Deeds” award, Chamber
of Commerce “Man of the Year”, “Sagamore of the
Wabash” conferred by Governor Frank O’Bannon and a
story featured in a book written by Fox News Channel’s
Neil Cavuto entitled, “More Than Money: True Stories of
People Who Learned Life’s Ultimate Lesson.”
Milt’s local past and current affiliations include Board
of Directors of Salin Bank & Trust, Board of Directors
of the Farmers and Merchants State Bank, Logansport
Rotary Club, Logansport Elks Lodge BPOE #66, Calvary
Presbyterian Church where he also served as
Elder, Treasurer of the Logansport Economic Development
Foundation, IUK Foundation Advisory Board, Logansport/Cass
County Chamber of Commerce, Cass
County United Way Fundraising Chairman and the
Board of Directors of the Logansport Memorial Hospital
Foundation, Chairman of the Board of the Sangralea
Valley Boys Home, President of El-Tip-Wa Building
Trades program, Board member of the Northern Indiana
Community Foundation (predecessor of the Cass County
Community Foundation) and Cass County Coordinator
for Senator Lugar’s Re-election.
In the Hardwood industry, he was CEO of Indiana
Dimension, Inc. (sister Company of Cole Hardwood),
Lumberman’s Underwriting Alliance Advisory Board,
Hardwood Manufacturers Association Executive Board,
National Hardwood Lumber Association Board of Directors,
Purdue University School of Agriculture Dean’s
Advisory Board, Purdue University Forestry Department
Steering Committee, President of the Hardwood Distributors
Association and President of the Indiana Hardwood
Lumbermen's Association.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Cass
County Community Foundation, PO Box 441, Logansport,
IN 46947, Calvary Presbyterian Church, 701
Spencer Street, Logansport, IN 46947 or the Ivy Tech
Foundation for the Cole Family Scholarship, PO Box
1373, Kokomo, IN 46903 or online at https://connect.
ivytech.edu/kokomo.
Due to COVID-19 restrictions, a private, family-only
service and burial in Mount Hope Cemetery, Logansport,
was held and a public Celebration of Milt’s Life is tentatively
scheduled for June, 2021.
Memories or messages of condolence may be posted
at www.kroegerfuneralhome.com. n
LAKE STATES Continued from page 6
and White Oak and Poplar. “Pretty much everything is
selling well right now for us,” he noted. Thicknesses are
4/4 through 8/4. He sells primarily to distributors, and he
observed, “It seems like they are doing well.”
He stated, “Transportation isn’t bad right now. Six
months ago, it was a problem. It’s definitely a lot better
right now.”
“Overall,” he stated, “we were blessed through all this
year. We had a steady market for Cottonwood.”n
NORTHEAST Continued from page 6
ing material. All our customers are busy." He noted that
the "competition for trucks" is tough. "Being in Maine, the
softwood business is prominent in our part of Northern
Maine. There are a lot of softwood trucks. With the demand
for softwood lumber and the high prices they are
able to pay, we're kind of getting the short end of the stick
when it comes to finding trucks. It's been a little bit of a
challenge lately."
The market in New York State is "pretty good, mostly
driven by supply shortages," according to a lumber provider
there. The market is "much better" than it was a half
a year ago, he said.
He sells "any and all North American species," he remarked.
The best seller is 4/4 White Oak. Thicknesses
of lumber range from 4/4 to 12/4. He sells to distributors
and end users, and both sets of customers are faring better
in the marketplace than six months earlier. Trucking,
he said, is difficult on the domestic side of things.n
SOUTHEAST Continued from page 7
I rated transportation 1-10, 10 being great, I’d rate it at
6-1/2 to 7.”
In Arkansas, a flooring manufacturer said the market
for his product, nationally, is “very strong” and better
than six months earlier. He utilizes Red and White Oak,
Hickory and Walnut in flooring grades, No. 1, No. 2 and
No. 3A. Red and White Oak are the hottest species. He
sells to wholesale distributors. These customers are doing
well, he said, because the housing market is strong.
The Arkansas source noted that transportation is “not bad
right now.”
“Spotty” is the word used by a North Carolina lumber
provider to describe the market there. He attributed that
to the presidential election and “all the decibels of that.”
Asked whether the market was better or worse than six
months previously, he replied, “2020 has been such a
long year. Back then, the wheels were about to fall off
because of COVID. Now there are other contributing fac-
Ford A. Frick
Ford A. Frick
Brimfield, IN— Ford A. Frick was born on June 27,
1940, and passed into the hands of his Savior on Nov.
19, 2020.
He was the second child of Harold Herman Frick and
Virginia Mae (Savoie). They both preceded him in death.
Ford graduated from Rome City High School in 1958
and attended the National Hardwood Lumber Association
(NHLA) Inspectors School in Memphis, TN. After
graduation, he returned to the Brimfield area and began
working at Frick Lumber Company Inc., becoming the
lumber grader and working side by side with Harold, his
father. He became the president years later and continued
to serve in that position.
He married Brenda Frazier Sutton on June 13, 1959.
They have two sons, Ford A. Jr. and Holly (Lash) and
Christopher Benton and Teresa (Nesbitt).
He attended Merriam Christian Chapel, sang in the
choir, was director of AWANA Pals, and was a member
of Gideons International and Brimfield Lions Club.
Ford was a lover of the Lord, servant to the church
tors.” One of those, he said, was a supply-driven market.
“We have a different dynamic now. COVID is part of it but
less so. Supply is short. There’s not as much kiln-dried
available as there was.” He handles No. 1 Common and
Better in Red and White Oak, Ash, Walnut, Cherry and Soft
and Hard Maple. “Without question, White Oak is selling
best,” he noted. “Red Oak sales are strong.”
The North Carolina lumber provider sells to end users
and some to distributors. “I think more recently, their sales
and a diehard Cubs fan. He enjoyed spending time with
his family and friends, was never far from the love of his
life "Ben," and their latest dog, Woody. He enjoyed annual
travel excursions with his siblings, family reunions
and gatherings for holidays and birthday parties, and
several years of Lake Cumberland boat trips with special
friends.
He worked at the family-owned Frick Lumber for 61
years alongside his dad, wife, son, son-in-law, sister,
brother-in-law, granddaughter, grandsons and greatgrandsons.
He was fiercely devoted to every employee
and treated them like members of his extended family.
In his younger days, he spent the summers coaching
little league teams for his sons and many aspiring baseball
stars. No destination was too far when attending a
Chicago Cubs game with Brenda, Ford Jr. and Chris.
He enjoyed watching all his grandchildren play games,
sing, dance and play instruments. He was a talker and
truly never met a stranger.
He is survived by his wife Brenda; sons, Ford, Jr. and
Chris; siblings Sharon and Bill Snyder, Harlan Frick
and Linda (Smoots), and Carolyn and Marvin Heller.
Grandchildren: Elisha and Austin Hess, Elizabeth and
Travis Knox, Erin and Chase Sprouse, Jared Frick and
Lindsey (Peak). Great grandchildren: Travis Jr. (TJ) and
Lilly Knox, Nolan and Gage Hess, Chloeann and Elaina
Sprouse and Noble Frick.
Visitation and funeral services were held at Merriam
Christian Chapel in Merriam, IN with Pastor John
French officiating.
Graveside services and burial were at Orange Cemetery
in Rome City.
In lieu of flowers, please make donations in his name
to Noble County Camp of Gideons International, P.O.
Box 863, Kendallville, IN 46755 or Merriam Christian
Chapel.
Arrangements were entrusted to Hite Funeral Home. n
have been softer as well for a broad variety of factors,” he
stated. “Key among them has been the fallout from COVID
and the uncertainty surrounding the election.”
Transportation is not an issue, he said, as, “We have our
own fleet of trucks within a certain radius and, beyond that,
common carriers. The availability of common carriers is
pretty good at the moment.” n
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