Delores “Dee” Fredricks, 90, of Spirit Lake, formerly of Marathon, Iowa, passed away on Friday, November 8, 2024, at Lakes Regional Healthcare in Spirit Lake.
A funeral service for Dee will be held, at 10:30 a.m., Monday, November 18, 2024, at Grace Lutheran Church in Spirit Lake. A visitation will be held, from 5-7 p.m., on Sunday, at the Robinson Funeral Home in Spirit Lake, IA. Burial will take place in the Poland Township Cemetery in Marathon, IA. Arrangements are under the direction of the Robinson Funeral Home in Spirit Lake. Online condolences may be left at www.spiritlakefuneralhome.com
Delores (Dee) Jeane (Bappe) Fredricks was born at home in Sioux Rapids, Iowa, on April 20, 1934, to Alice (Bright) Bappe and Justin A. Bappe. She was baptized and was a member of the First Methodist Church in Sioux Rapids, Iowa. She attended Sioux Rapids school and graduated with the class of 1952. She attended Mankato Business College and after College worked at the First State Bank in Sioux Rapids.
On March 27,1954, she was united in marriage to Verlin Fredricks, the son of Emil and Mildred Fredricks of Marathon, Iowa. Verlin was still serving in the Navy and was stationed in San Fransico, California. They spent their first year of marriage near the Naval base in Oakland, California. After the Navy, Delores and Verlin lived in several places in Iowa before they bought a farm and settled near Marathon, Iowa. To this union, they were blessed with two sons, Gary Lee and Brian Dale.
They farmed near Marathon for 33 years and Delores worked at the Farmers Coop in Marathon for 25 years. While at Marathon, she was a member of Grace Lutheran Church and taught Sunday School and sang in the choir. Dee also enjoyed needlepoint, knitting, following the Hawkeyes, and spending time at Okoboji, Florida and Arizona. In 1988, Delores retired from the COOP to care for Verlin when he became ill with ALS. They turned the farming over to their son Brian and moved to their lake house on West Okoboji. After moving to the lakes, she became a member of Grace Lutheran Church in Spirit Lake. Sadley, Verlin passed away in September of l991, but she continued to live at the lake home until November 2021. She then moved to Keelson Harbour Senior Living in Spirit Lake, Iowa.
Delores was preceded in death by: her parents, Justin and Alice Bappe; her husband, Verlin Fredricks; her son, Gary Fredricks; her sister-in law, Carol Fredricks; and her brother and sister-in-law, Edgar and Annette Fairchild.
Those left to cherish her memory are son, Brian Fredricks (Peggy) of Marathon; daughter-in-law, Nancy Fredricks of Washougal, Washington; granddaughters, Kari Kathman (Andy) of Hot Springs, South Dakota, Krista Creed (Kyle) of Surprise, Arizona, Kelsey Depew (Justin) of Stillwater, Minnesota; great-grandchildren, Kadence, Adalyn and Braxtyn Kathman of Hot Springs, South Dakota; brother, Dale Bappe (Julie) of Cedar Rapids, Iowa; brother-in-law, Clair Fredricks (Sue) of Arizona, and many other relatives and friends.
