Frank Henry de Prez was born in Moore on 16 January 1896. His parents were Arthur and Edith Maud de Prez. Frank was baptised at All Saints’ on 6 March 1896. He had two sisters, Ida Mary, b1897 and Edith May b1899. Initially, the family lived on Warrington Road, Moore (now Runcorn Road). His father was a painter and decorator.
The 1911 census tells us that Frank was then living with his grandfather, William (a retired grocer), at ‘Lyndhurst’, Moore. He was apprenticed to a painter – possibly his father. Arthur and Edith were living at ‘High Bank’ with their daughters and this is the address that Frank gave on enlistment.
He enlisted into the RAF on 2 January 1917, service number 52727, but we have no details of his service.
Frank married Hilda Margaret Thomas (born 1 August 1894) on 23 April 1923 at the parish church in Gresford, Flintshire. By 1939, he was a master painter and decorator. He and his wife were living at ‘High Bank’. They had two sons, Arthur, born on 6 April 1924 and William b1927. Arthur continued to live in Moore until he died just a few years ago.
Frank died in 1993, aged 97 years, in Delyn, Flintshire.