Dorothy Ilene Fredericks

Dorothy Ilene Fredericks was born April 28, 1919 to Henry and Bessie (Nickols) Reincke in rural Schleswig, Iowa. She became a baptized child of God on August 3, 1919 at the Battle Creek Evangelical Church and later confirmed her faith at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Schleswig on April 14, 1935. Dorothy received her elementary education at Morgan #9 Country School and later received her G.E.D in June of 1969.

On September 29, 1940 , Dorothy was united in marriage to Raymond Fredericks at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Schleswig. To this union, they were blessed with two sons: Raymond, Jr. and Richard.

Dorothy and Raymond lived on a farm West of Denison, and over the years, Dorothy remained active and busy and held many jobs, including different positions at Jo-Mart, Olsen's Bakery, West Broadway Grocery Store and JCPenney. She learned to cane chairs and developed an interest and passion for refinishing and repairing old furniture. She and her husband Raymond refinished many pieces of furniture including chairs, tables and dressers; all of the church pews at Zion in Denison; and they also restored pianos and pump organs. She was an active member of Zion Lutheran Church in Denison where she held various roles and was involved in many different groups, Bible studies, and volunteer opportunities. She also volunteered in the community at Eventide and for the Hospital Auxiliary.

Dorothy had a gift and knack for arts, crafts, and creating. Some of her artistic hobbies included embroidery, crocheting, making dresses and clothing, sewing, and repurposing materials like Birdseye, flannel, and chicken mesh bags. She also loved to quilt and stitched together crib quilts for her family and other infants. She was a "Doll Doctor" and very passionate about doll-making and repair. She used and repurposed pieces from old dolls to repair dolls and create new dolls. When a family friend's granddaughter lost her doll at the Mall of America, Dorothy used a picture to create a pattern to design sew, and create a replica of the stuffed doll for the young girl. She also loved to sew and stuff teddy bears and other stuffed animals, which she shared with her grandchildren and great grandchildren and other family and friends. She was gifted with an eye for re-purposing odds and ends and remained very creative and artistic throughout her life, as her mind was always imagining what she could do next with her busy hands. She usually had several projects going at one time and loved to show her work and explain her process and progress to visitors in her home and apartment. She kept very organized drawers and boxes of pieces and scraps she might be able to use for creation or repair for a future project. She remained very independent throughout her life, living on her own and even holding her driver's license into her later years.

Dorothy's soul was called home to heaven on Saturday, March 6, 2021 at Eventide Lutheran Home in Denison at the age of one hundred and one years, ten months and eight days. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband Raymond in 1978; five sisters, Bernice Quandt, Marian Kluver, Gladys Smart, Esther Meseck, Frances Wiegel and LeAnna Crowder; one brother, Raymond Reincke; daughter-in-law, Virgene Fredericks; great-granddaughter, Taylor Marie Teut.

She is survived by her sons, Ray Fredericks and his wife Beverly of Denison and Dick Fredericks of Schleswig; grandchildren, Michelle and her husband Greg Boger, Crystal and her husband Mark Kollasch, Candice and her husband Bruce Opheim, Scott Fredericks and his wife Robin, Melissa and her husband Dick Arndorfer, Valerie and her husband Craig Teut, Denise and her husband John Stinson, Colleen and her husband Joe Hahn and Doug Fredericks and his wife Christi; 25 great-grandchildren, 19 great-great-grandchildren; nieces and nephews.

Private Family Funeral Service is Thursday, March 11, 2021 at Zion Lutheran Church in Denison with a private family visitation one hour prior to the service. Interment is in Crawford Heights Memory Gardens. Memorials may be directed to the Iowa District West Church Worker Scholarship Fund.

Live streaming will be available at 10:30 a.m. on Thursday, March 11, 2021 at the "Huebner Funeral Home" facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/huebnerfuneralhome/