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Francis Loyal Adams, youngest son of Russell and Ruth (VanDyke) Adams, was born on October 25, 1931, in the farm home eight miles northeast of Broken Bow, in Garfield Township, Custer County, Nebraska. Francis attended the Senate Valley School, only a quarter mile from her house. The city school was a harsh change for an 11 year old in the seventh grade. Francis worked on the farm and attended school until graduation in 1948.
Francis attended the University of Nebraska in Lincoln for the 1949-1950 school year. During that time he met Phyllis Ann Curley, and in January of 1951 they were married. After a short period of farming, Francis joined the Army. He served 4 years, his last duty station being at Fort Carson, Colorado. With his Colorado residency established, Francis then attended Colorado State University in Fort Collins, enrolling in the veterinary medical program. Six years of later, armed with a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree, the family emigrated to Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada where Francis practiced in a mixed large and small animal practice.
The family returned to the U.S. in 1964, choosing Madison, Wisconsin, for their new home. For the next several years Francis worked with several animal vaccine companies, while Phyllis returned to school.
Francis joined the Federal Service in 1972 and was stationed at Madison as a Veterinary Medical Officer with the Department of Agriculture, Meat and Poultry Operations, while Phyllis pursued a career as a court reporter, mother and housewife.
In 1989, the family was still living and working in Madison. Francis and Phyllis had four children:
| David Francis Adams | Born in January 1952. |
| Bruce Edward Adams | Born in April 1954. Bruce has one son: John Jason Adams. |
| Karl Phillip Adams | Born in January 1956. Karl married Margaret Mary Voight. Karl and Peggy had 1 son: Erik Anthony. |
| Craig Joesph Adams | Born in December 1962. Craig married Janet Lynn Riemann. Craig and Janet have 2 children: Andrew Calvin and Joni Lynn. |
In his Memoirs, included in a book on family history published by his mother Ruth, Francis documents some of the more memorable events of his life.