Madonna Kathleen (Futter) FRIESTH

FRIESTH, FUTTER, WHEELER, WRIGHT, BILSTAD

Posted By: Sarah Thorson Little (email)
Date: 1/12/2011 at 10:44:41

July 13, 1922 -- February 20, 2009

Kathleen Friesth, 86, of Humboldt, passed away February 20, 2009 at the Humboldt County Memorial Hospital. Funeral services will be 10:00 a.m. Friday, February 27 at Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church with the Rev. Gene Broughton officiating. Interment will be in North Lawn Cemetery, Fort Dodge. Visitation is from 5-7 p.m. Thursday at the Mason-Lindhart Funeral Home in Humboldt.

Mrs. Friesth is survived by her daughters, Karen Wheeler of Ellendale, MN, and Kathy Wright of Barnesville, MN; 5 grandchildren; and 9 great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her parents and husband, Melvin Friesth.

Madonna Kathleen Futter, the daughter of Frank and Ruth (Bilstad) Futter, was born July 13, 1922 at Fort Dodge, Iowa. She was raised and educated at Fort Dodge and graduated from Fort Dodge High School in 1940. She received radiology training in Chicago and worked as an X-Ray technician in Topeka, Kansas for a short time until a job opening became available in Fort Dodge. She was united in marriage to Melvin Eilert Friesth on February 16, 1946 at Hiawatha, Kansas. The couple made their home on their farm in Corinth Township. In 1974, Kathleen and Melvin moved into Humboldt and retired from farming in 1978. Mr. Friesth passed away in November of 1999 and Kathleen continued to maintain her home until becoming a resident of the Long Term Care Unit of the Humboldt County Memorial Hospital in April of 2001. She passed away there on the morning of February 20, 2009 at the age of 86.

Mrs. Friesth was an active member of Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church and the ELCW. She was also the founder of the 60 club at church and was active in Democratic politics serving as an election observer. She enjoyed card playing, bingo, baking and cooking and was known for her pancakes. She also harvested asparagus, which she sold in Cody’s Market in Humboldt.