More questions than answers in son’s death

Losing a loved one is always painful, and for many time eventually heals the wounds. However, that hasn’t been the case for a Medford mother.
One year and one month after her son’s death while serving in the U.S. Navy, Annette Duncan has been left struggling to understand what happened. Hunter Frank, 20, died either on Oct. 16 or 17, 2020, following a mysterious set of circumstances while stationed in El Salvador.
“Our family has been left with more questions than answers,” said Duncan, who serves as the president of the Steele County United Way. “And what we do know is questionable. We lost our son under questionable means.”
Duncan said she can’t really elaborate any further on her son’s death because she knows very little. What has added to the frustration for her is that the U.S. Navy hasn’t kept her apprised of its investigation into how Frank died.
During an emotionally charged interview with the Times, Duncan said she’s “a little angry” over what has taken place. “The hardest part is to this day they (U.S. Navy) never have had a conversation with me to tell me what happened,” she said.
“I have received zero information.”
To say Duncan is devastated and continues to hurt would be a gross understatement.
She said she vividly remembers the day last October when Navy officials showed up at her doorstep to deliver the tragic news of her son’s death.
“I immediately broke down and dropped to my knees,” Duncan said with tears flowing down her face. “It was the worst day of my entire life, and that’s saying a lot because I have had a tough life growing up.”
Since then, Duncan said she has had her husband disconnect the doorbell at their home because she had gone into panic attacks when it had been used. “The doorbell brings me such trauma,” she said, noting the Navy crew that notified her of Frank’s death used the doorbell. “That’s a memory that will be burned in my mind forever.”
Duncan said she and other family members are focused on honoring and remembering Frank.
Four-year-old Amelia often carries on conversations with Frank, according to Duncan.“We try to keep him alive for her by telling her he is with God and he is okay,” Duncan said.
“He had a huge impact on us in his short time,” she said. “We want to keep him alive in our memory.”
Two weeks after he graduated from high school in Owatonna, Frank enlisted in the U.S. Navy and left for boot camp.
“As a person who always gave of himself for others, he was loving and compassionate,” Duncan said. “He always knew he needed to serve others before himself.”
Frank’s decision to go into the Navy has proven to be bittersweet for Duncan. While she is proud of his service, she is left with a hole in her heart. “He never got to experience life,” she said. 
Family members, Duncan said, have their own ways of remembering Frank. For example, her daughter, Indya, 14, wears Frank’s class ring and many of his hoodies and Navy shirts.
After Frank’s death, Duncan said she became aware of a side of him that she never saw before. Known to the family and others for his shyness, Frank wrote poems and stories about experiences he had during his childhood and high school days. They were returned to the family with some of his personal belongings.
“He wasn’t an outward artist, and he never shared it with anyone,” Duncan said, adding, “it’s fun to see that private side to him.”
Duncan was a bit surprised to learn that he kept everything that she ever sent him while he was away. “I thought he got rid of everything, but he kept it all,” she said.
She also discovered something else.
“My Hunter was a trinket collector,” Duncan said. “He had little stashes of trinkets. That has been comforting to me.”
Since Frank’s death, Duncan has admittedly buried the pain by dedicating herself to work with the United Way. She said she is well aware that some people would argue it’s not healthy for her to do.
She is well on her way to leading this year’s United Way campaign to achieve its goal of $800,000.
“If I can focus on serving others, it keeps me distracted enough from the hurt,” Duncan said. “Work is where I can focus and stay on track. When I stop and have time to think, it’s too overwhelming.”
Duncan paused for a second.
“I’m committed to our community and our world,” she said.
If there is one thing Duncan has learned from her son’s tragedy, it’s the fact that every day is not guaranteed. “Don’t take your time for granted,” she said. “You can never love your children too much.”
Duncan said she is convinced she may never know what really happened to her son while he served his country. But that’s not going to stop her from keeping his memory alive.
She regularly visits her son at his gravesite at Woodville Cemetery in Waseca. “It’s a place we can go now to visit and remember,” she said.
Duncan added with a smile, “We’re going to remember the good that he brought into this world.”