Fretheim, Herbert Leander "Herb" 1921-2007

FRETHEIM, LONEY, BJERKVIG, BENZING, BUSTA, NOVAK, FLACK, CORCORAN, STUART, SIMS, CAGE, RASMUSSEN

Posted By: Joy Moore (email)
Date: 8/30/2012 at 14:40:43

Herbert L. “Herb” Fretheim, age 86, of Decorah, Iowa, died on Wednesday, September 5, 2007, at the Aase Haugen Nursing Home in Decorah, Iowa, following a long illness.

Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m., Friday, September 7, 2007, at the Madison Lutheran Church, with Rev. Ginny Olson officiating. Burial will be in the Madison Cemetery, Decorah, Iowa.

Friends may call from 4:00-8:00 p.m. on Thursday at the Schluter – Balik Funeral Home, in Decorah, and after 10:00 a.m. at the church on Friday morning.

Herbert Leander Fretheim was born on March 20, 1921, in Madison Township, the son of Olaf and Ruby (Loney) Fretheim in the home of his grandparents, Henry and Anna Fretheim. Herbert was baptized on April 17, 1921 and confirmed on May 19, 1935 at the Madison Lutheran Church. Herb’s parents lived with his grandparents the first two years of their marriage, until they moved to a farm north of Decorah in Canoe Township. They lived there two years. It was near there that Herb started grade school. In 1929, a house and barn were built on the east section of the Henry Fretheim farm and it was here that Herb spent most of his life farming. Herb and his two sisters, Olive and Arlene attended school at District #6. They had to walk one and a half miles to school in all kinds of weather. In 1931, Herb became a charter member of the VFW Junior Drum & Bugle Corps in Decorah. Members had to be sons of VFW fathers, who served in World War I. Herb was ten years old and played the drums. It became known later as the Decorah Kilities Drum and Bugle Corps. Herb started working in the fields when he was nine years old. He did plowing, dragging and cultivating corn with three horses: Daisy, Dewey and Dexter. Once while he was dragging, his sister, Olive wanted to drive the horses. Herb would not agree and they had a little fight and Herb walked home, followed by Olive, leaving the horses standing in the field. Herb was quoted as saying “I don’t like horses today, as I had to work with them”. Herb started high school in Ridgeway until his parents moved to St. Charles, Minnesota, where they operated a café for two years. Herb went to high school in St. Charles. Herbert married Ruth Bjerkvig on March 17, 1951, at the United Lutheran Church in Zumbrota, Minnesota. To this union, six children were born: Wayne, Carol, Warren, Connie, Ruth Ann and Wesley. Herb worked at several jobs before he started farming on his own in 1950 at Columbus, North Dakota. He shocked oats, flax, wheat and barley. He also worked on the Big Horn Dam in Helena, Montana, and the Rath Packing Plant in Waterloo, Iowa for five years. After retiring from farming and dairy cows, he did custom fencing for farmers. He liked to go fishing on the Mississippi River on his pontoon, bird watching, watching his favorite football team, the Minnesota Vikings and spending time with his special cat, Timber, who he found while cutting wood. Herb was a member of the Madison Lutheran Church.

Herb’s survivors include his wife: Ruth Fretheim, Decorah, IA. Three daughters: Carol (Steve) Benzing, Decorah, IA; Connie (Dave) Busta, Decorah, IA and Ruth (Steve) Novak, Cresco, IA. Three sons: Wayne Fretheim, Minneapolis, MN; Warren (Linda) Fretheim, Decorah, IA and Wesley (June) Fretheim, Decorah, IA. Eleven grandchildren: Erika (Travis) Flack, Ryan Benzing, Kara (Josh) Corcoran; Amber and Kyle Fretheim; Michael Busta, Tom (Hon) Busta; Cody (Melissa) Stuart and Megan Novak; Justin and Zachary Fretheim. Three great grandchildren: Isaac Busta, Hallie and Aaron Busta. One sister: Olive Sims, Decorah, IA. One sister-in-law: Shirley (Everett) Cage, Pine Island, MN. Two brothers-in-law: Jannes Bjerkvig, Zumbrota, MN and Ervin Rasmussen, Decorah, IA.

Herb was preceded in death by his parents: Olaf and Ruby Fretheim; one sister: Arlene Rasmussen in 2005 and one brother-in-law: Harold Sims in 2004.

Source: Schluter - Balik Funeral Home database

Madison Lutheran Cemetery
 

Winneshiek Obituaries maintained by Bruce Kuennen.
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