Basic Information
| Field | Detail |
|---|---|
| Full name | Francis Bert Schreibvogel |
| Born | December 10, 1932 |
| Died | January 3, 2021 |
| Birthplace | Deerfield, Kansas |
| Spouse | Shirley Mae Strackeljohn Schreibvogel, m. August 4, 1953 |
| Children | Garold “G.W.” Wayne, Yarri (Samuel), Joseph Allen (Joe Exotic), Tamara, Pamela |
| Military service | U.S. Army, Company F, 19th (family references) |
| Primary association | Family-operated exotic animal enterprises – Greater Wynnewood / G.W. Exotic Animal Park |
| Notable events | Property deeds and leases tied to Wynnewood zoo; family litigation involving park operations |
Biography
Francis Bert Schreibvogel belonged to a generation that carried quiet duties with stubborn loyalty. Born on December 10, 1932, in a small Kansas town, he married Shirley Mae Strackeljohn on August 4, 1953, and together they raised a brood whose headlines would later ebb and swell across national media. He served in the U.S. Army and later anchored his life around family and a rural enterprise that mixed memorial, menagerie, and commerce. His existence was less a single flash of notoriety and more the slow burn behind a family operation, a foundation stone whose edges were buffed by the storms that came after.
Francis’s life is best understood as a ledger of homes, deeds, children, and small-town rituals: marriage in 1953, births through the 1950s and 1960s, the naming of a memorial foundation after a lost son, and decades of caretaking around the land that hosted the family’s animals. He died on January 3, 2021 at age 88, in a moment when the world was already a net of broadcasts and social posts about his family.
Family and Relationships
The Schreibvogel family reads like a complex cast list in which grief, loyalty, and legal papers intersect.
- Shirley Mae Schreibvogel, spouse – Married in 1953 and a co-owner on various property documents, she predeceased Francis in 2019. Shirley’s presence is woven through deeds and memorials as a partner in the family enterprise.
- Garold “G.W.” Wayne Schreibvogel, son – Born in 1960 and killed in an automobile accident in 1997, his memory became the namesake for the family memorial park; the park and related entities invoked his name as a public symbol.
- Yarri (Samuel) Schreibvogel, son – An older sibling who has spoken publicly in interviews and stepped into post-documentary narratives, sometimes at odds with other family accounts.
- Joseph Allen Schreibvogel, son, known as Joe Exotic – Born in 1963 and the most publicly visible family member, Joseph carved out notoriety as a zoo operator and later as a central figure in national documentary coverage and legal battles; his relationship with parents and siblings is described as complicated and often estranged.
- Tamara and Pamela Schreibvogel, daughters – Less publicly prominent, they are listed in family records and obituaries as siblings among the Schreibvogel children.
- Extended kin and contested claims – Public discourse around grandchildren and alleged descendants has included disputed assertions and social media back-and-forths, with some family ties openly contested.
Family life here resembles a weather map: calm in some places, stormy in others, with patterns that repeat across decades.
Career, Property, and Financial Notes
Francis’s public role centers on property and the family animal operation. The Wynnewood land and the G.W. Exotic Animal Memorial Park formed the axis of the family’s financial and legal activities. Documents and public filings trace a web of deeds, leases, and transfers in which Francis and Shirley appear as initial owners or grantors of property used by the park.
Key financial touchpoints include judgments and civil suits tied to the operation of the park and its business entities. Those legal outcomes altered ownership claims and created liabilities that intertwined family members. The park’s commercial life never produced a single, simple net-worth estimate for Francis; instead, financial reality shows up in court filings, settlement payments, and the movement of property titles.
Litigation and Public Dispute
The family enterprise was not only a place for animals but also a long-running locus for civil litigation. Lawsuits against the park and related entities resulted in judgments, consent decrees, and contested transfers that involved Francis and Shirley as parties to deeds and historical maneuvers. The legal record reads like a ledger of attempts to protect assets, of contested leases, and of creditors asserting claims against the business.
Those disputes complicated the family’s private griefs, converting personal loss into courtroom exhibits and recorded testimony. Where land meets liability, the human story tends to be translated into paragraphs in complaints and judgments.
Public Image, Media, and Legacy
Francis’s persona in the public eye is mostly ancillary; he is visible as father, husband, and property owner, rather than as an independent celebrity. His life gained national attention through the fame and infamy of a son, and through documentaries that folded family photographs and small-town scenes into many hours of cable and streaming coverage.
To some, the Schreibvogel name is a relic of rural enterprise and a cautionary tale about family businesses that grow into spectacle. To others, it is a lineage of survivors, carrying both tender memorials and bruised reputations. The legacy is therefore doubled: land and memorialization on one hand, and public controversy on the other.
Extended Timeline
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 1932 | Birth of Francis Bert Schreibvogel, December 10 |
| 1953 | Marriage to Shirley Mae Strackeljohn, August 4 |
| 1960 | Birth of Garold “G.W.” Wayne Schreibvogel, November 26 |
| 1963 | Birth of Joseph Allen Schreibvogel, March 5 |
| 1997 | Death of Garold “G.W.” Wayne Schreibvogel, October 14 |
| 1999 | Establishment of memorial animal park on Wynnewood property, early leases in place |
| 2010 | Documented deed and property transfers tied to park operations |
| 2011-2013 | Major civil litigation and judgments involving park entities |
| 2019 | Death of Shirley Schreibvogel |
| 2021 | Death of Francis Bert Schreibvogel, January 3 |
Recent Mentions and Media
After his death in 2021 Francis is mentioned mainly in obituaries and family remembrances, and as a figure in the backstory to continuing narratives about the park and its operators. Media coverage about the family tends to focus on the most public members and on ongoing legal or cultural interest in the story of the park, rather than on Francis as a standalone subject.
FAQ
Who was Francis Schreibvogel?
Francis Schreibvogel was a Kansas-born veteran and family patriarch who, with his wife Shirley, was tied to the land and operations of a family-run exotic animal park.
When did he live?
He was born on December 10, 1932 and died on January 3, 2021 at age 88.
What was his role in the Wynnewood park?
Francis appears on property deeds and to have been a co-owner or co-deeder of land used by the G.W. Exotic Animal Memorial Park.
Who are his children?
His children include Garold “G.W.” Wayne, Yarri (Samuel), Joseph Allen (Joe Exotic), Tamara, and Pamela.
Was he involved in litigation?
Yes, property deeds and leases that list Francis and Shirley were central to litigation and civil judgments tied to the family park and its business entities.
Did he serve in the military?
Family references indicate he served in the U.S. Army, associated with Company F, 19th.
How is he remembered?
He is remembered by family as a patriarch and co-founder of the memorial foundation, and in public records as a participant in the land and legal history of the family enterprise.
