Fred Dethlefsen (1934 - 2006)
Crawford County Coordinator, IAGenWeb, 1999 - 2006
Fred took over the administration of Crawford County, Iowa, IAGenWeb, in its infancy in 1999 and transformed it into a thriving GenWeb county website of great assistance to those who were researching their roots in Crawford County, Iowa.
Below on this page is his last message to the mailing list for Crawford County genealogists followed by his obituary.
Stacey Dietiker and Bob Kuehl
Saturday, 4 Mar 2006
From: Fritz5623@aol.com
To Bob and especially all the volunteers that subscribe to the Crawford County Genweb, and all of the rest of the subscribers to this list; to each and everyone of you who has contributed something and have made this the best in the state of Iowa.
When we took over the Crawford County list, we only had approximately 25 to 30 pages in 1999. Now, here it is 2006 and we have over 600 and some pages. This is due to each of you contributing something and especially all of you volunteers. In January of 2006, I am going to let each and every one of you know what happened to me. I have had for several years, muscular dystrophy which has caused a weakness in my biceps, shoulder blade muscles, and also, my left leg is very, very weak.
Now, due to pneumonia which hit me in January around the first week, I have been in the hospital four weeks and in rehab for two weeks; but somehow nothing is improving and I have lost much, much more in strength.
I will be limited to being online but I will do my best. So, I am not sure how this will work out; but if someone can help Bob out it would be appreciated.
I have not much more to say but that each and everyone of you are the greatest. I guess I can just say that our list in Iowa is the BEST.
Take care my friends,
Love,
Fred Dethlefsen
Fredric William "Fritz" Dethlefsen
Fredric William "Fritz", son of Frederick C. and Florence Marie (Bolte) Dethlefsen, was born February 9, 1934, at Kenwood, Iowa. Fritz was raised on a farm west and north of Manning and was baptized at the Lutheran Church in Denison and confirmed at Zion Lutheran Church in Manning. He graduated from Manning High School in 1952.
During high school he worked as a farmhand and following high school he moved to Illinois where he started working as a production welder at Caterpillar Tractor Co. in Joliet, Illinois. While there, he met and married Lindalee Heisel in 1953. Two children were born to this union. He retired from Caterpillar Quality Control in 1986.
As a Certified Illinois Firefighter and Emergency Medical Technician, Fritz served as a volunteer fireman with the East Joliet Fire Department for 15 years. He was a Will County, Illinois, election judge for 10 years and volunteered as a county coordinator for the Crawford County, Iowa, GenWeb. He enjoyed genealogy, fishing, computers and welding. After retiring he moved to Arizona.
When Fritz's health began to fail, he was cared for by Americare Hospice in Chandler, AZ, where he died on Saturday, March 18, 2006, at the age of 72 years, 1 month and 9 days. Preceding him in death are his parents and two brothers Richard Lee 'Dick' Dethlefsen and Maurice 'Bud' Graff.
He is survived by his daughter Nancy Ann and husband Ed Woods of Corona, CA; son William Fredric Dethlefsen and special friend Joyce Smith of Joliet, IL; grandchildren: Tamra Lee Woods; Tye Robert Zola and wife Karina; Beth Woods and Kimberly George; greatgrandchildren: Lindsey George; Mason George and Jacob George; three sisters: LaJune and husband Theodore Miller of Dow City; Helen and husband Allan Weber of Sibley and Linda Marie and husband Art Hayden of Sioux City; two sisters-in-law Jane Graff of Seward, NE and Gwen Dethlefsen of Mesa, AZ; and many friends in Illinois, Arizona and Manning, Iowa.