Graveside services for Frances Frederick will be Sunday, June 24, 2018 at 2:00 P.M. at the Pleasant Hill Cemetery, rural Aurelia, with Pastor Bruce Rapp officiating. A time of fellowship and sharing will immediately follow at the Aurelia Community Center. Local arrangements by the Redig Funeral Home in Aurelia.

Frances Donnabell Erickson was born on April 11, 1925 in the rural area around Aurelia, Iowa, the daughter of Frank and Mabel (Gustafson) Erickson. She attended school for as long as her family was willing and able to provide transportation in the family buckboard. She played with the kids in Aurelia, including Melvin, who she would eventually marry.  For her last year of school, she lived with her teacher in town. After school, she worked for a couple of years in Cherokee at the local drug store and, in the summer of 1945, Melvin came home from the Army with an engagement ring.

That same year, mom took a bus to meet Melvin in San Antonio, TX where they married. She often talked about getting married in cloth shoes because they were all that was available. This was her first time out of Iowa. From Texas, Melvin was stationed in Georgia. Mom became pregnant and Melvin received orders for Korea.  Mom went home to Iowa, had Deidra (that would be me) and with an 18 month old child, she went to Japan to meet my dad.

Dad (and mom) spent almost 30 years in the Army. From Japan, we moved to Arlington, VA where Melanie was born.  Again, dad’s orders were for overseas, including Addis Abba, Ethiopia and Heidelberg, Germany.  San Antonio, TX and Monterey, CA were our U.S. stations, then back overseas to the Panama Canal Zone.  Junction City KS, and Stuttgart, Germany assignments proceeded a tour in Vietnam for dad.  Mom brought Melanie and me back home, this time to Colorado Springs, CO where dad retired.

Mom spent all of this time with her primary job as a wife and mom. She worked as a switchboard operator for Ma Bell before moving to Japan and again as a receptionist for Honeywell Corporation after Melanie went to high school. By this time, mom and dad had retired in Edina, MN and mom had several ducks of which she was very fond.  After dad died, she worked for Strategic Designs for Learning, my company, as a receptionist and running errands.  Her last job was as the owner of All Pet Sitting.  She house-sat and cared for pets until she was no longer able to drive effectively in the dark.

Dad died in 1978 and, after more than a year on her own, she married Rex Frederick. They were married for 25 years, living in Minnesota and Colorado.  They traveled in a little camper, exploring the western U.S. and visiting relatives and friends in Minnesota and Iowa. After Rex died, mom stayed in Colorado Springs until she died on February 4, 2018.

For a little girl growing up in 1920’s rural Iowa, her life contained many exciting and challenging times. She loved the travel associated with dad’s work and she loved raising her two girls.  She was very active throughout her life, volunteering at her girls’ activities and schools, coordinating moves across continents, and attending the numerous ceremonies and events that were part of Army life.  She and Rex traveled, maintained a house and yard with gardens, and had many friends.

Throughout her life, mom was a dedicated Christian, attending non-denominational Protestant Churches while in the military and returning to the Methodist Church in which she was raised when they retired. When she was at Pike’s Peak Hospice, several members of the First United Methodist Church visited her and talked about their memories of her in their Senior Sunday School Class and the various activities in which she participated with Rex.

Frances is survived by two daughters: Deidra (Steven) Ellen Williams Funkhouser, grandchildren and great-grandchildren:  Joshua (Jenni) Funkhouser, children Isaiah, Paxton, Abigail, William, Emily; Ben (Keri) Funkhouser; Gina Wilcox (Jack) Wagner. Second daughter: Melanie (Joel) Williams Frank. Grandchildren and great-grandchildren:  Evan Frank; Lauren (Danny) Frank Thornberry, children Riley and another is expected.  Also two step-daughters: Judie Frederick St. Cyr (step-daughter) and George St. Cyr, Debbie (granddaughter) and Doug Gulbranson, Ryan (great-grandson) and Ashlyn, Parker (great-grandson), Lauren (great-granddaughter), Tami (granddaughter) and Shane Buldra, Taylor (great-granddaughter),

Madison (great-granddaughter), Jeff (grandson) and Jenni St. Cyr, Samantha (great-granddaughter), Cooper (great-grandson). Second step-daughter: Joanie Frederick McKeever, her children and grandchildren: Andy (grandson) and Becky McKeever, Caleb (great-grandson),

Lydia (great granddaughter), Anna McKeever Simpkins (granddaughter), Henry (great-grandson), Rory (great-grandson).

Siblings are Ruth and Hans Jensen. Genevieve and Dean Roggensees, their children are Marilyn (Lee) Roggensees Cruise, Alice and Clyde Konradi:  daughter, Linda (Rick) Konradi Rickencamp; daughter, Bonnie Konradi; Dan (Christine) Konradi; Lester (Cheri) Konradi; David Konradi. She was well loved by all.

Posted in Obituaries