Baker City, Oregon
Joe A. Frericks, 79, a longtime Baker City resident, died Dec. 16, 2002, at his home after a year-log battle with cancer.
The rosary will be said at 7 p.m. Friday at St. Francis de Sales Cathedral, First and Church streets. Mass of Christian Burial will be at 10 a.m. Saturday at St. Francis de Sales Cathedral. The Rev. Robert Irwin of the church will officiate. Interment will be at Mount Hope Cemetery. There will be a reception afterward at the Parish Hall at St. Francis de Sales Cathedral.
Visitations will be until 5 p.m. Friday at Gray’s West & Co., 1500 Dewey Ave.
Josepf Anton Freriks was born on Nov. 14, 1923, to John A. and Ana Willemson Freriks. The spelling of the last name later was changed when the children of the family attended school. They felt the new spelling was more correct.
Anna and John emigrated from Didam, Holland, to Nebraska. They worked to attain their American citizenship. Mrs. Frericks often commented how proud she was to have achieved that goal.
Joe moved to Baker City with his family in 1938. His father, John, was killed in a truck accident on the Sumpter Highway a few months later. Joe and his six brothers and sisters worked to help their mother support the family through those difficult years.
Joe attended St. Francis Academy until the 11th grade when he joined the National Guard, which was then federalized, and he was in the U.S. Army.
During World War II, he was in the 28th Infantry Division and took part in the Battle of Normandy and the Battle of the Bulge, including action in the Huertgen Forest. Joe was proud of his service in the military, and just a few years ago received the medals he had earned but that were not available to give out when he was discharged from the Army.
After the war, Joe received auto-body repair training. He worked for Baker Garage for 14 years before opening his own shop, Joe’s Autobody Repair. He operated the shop from 1961 to 1991, when he retired at the age of 68.
Joe was married to Lena Shaw on Oct. 14, 1949. They were married for 53 years when she died on Nov. 9, 2002.
The couple raised their three daughters in Baker City. After their retirement, they enjoyed camping and traveling and activities with their family.
Joe volunteered at the senior center, delivering Meals on Wheels for several years until he became too ill. He was a life member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, which he joined immediately after returning home from the war. He was a past post commander and served on the board of directors for the Veterans Memorial Club.
He loved hunting deer and elk and was excited the year he was able to bag an antelope. He also enjoyed working with firearms. He was a member of the Powder River Sportsman’s Club and participated in many of its shooting competitions over the years.
His favorite activity, however, was collecting firearm cartridges. At one time he had a collection of thousands of cartridges and shells. He also enjoyed building and refinishing guns, woodworking and making gadgets. He had a talent for fixing everything.
Joe was a great father and husband. His sense of humor, practicality and caring ways will be missed.
He was preceded in death by his parents; his wife, Lena; his sisters, Elizabeth Frericks and Helen Freriks (an infant); his son-in-law, Bill Hylton; and his nephew, Gary Todd.
Survivors include his daughters and sons-in-law, Nikki and Russ Rankin, Karen and Steve Cloudt and Mary Jo and Stuart Carpenter; grandchildren, Ryan, Tracy, Mindi and Erica Hylton and David, Christy, Andrea and Amy Cloudt; stepgrandchildren, Becky and Jake Rankin; brothers and sisters, Ted Frericks, Leo Frericks, Connie Fisher, Louise Todd and Ramona Idler; and 16 nieces and nephews.
Memorial contributions may be made to the VFW Veterans Relief Fund, the Powder River Sportsman’s Club and Community Connection Meals on Wheels program through Gray’s West & Co., P.O. Box 726, Baker City, OR 97814.
Used with permission from: Baker City Herald, Baker City, Oregon, December 20, 2002
Transcribed by: Belva Ticknor
