Obituary of Fred L. Goedken

PETERSBURG, IOWA

Fred L. Goedken, age 99, of Petersburg, Iowa died on April 17, 2023, at the Good Neighbor Home in Manchester, Iowa.

Visitation will be held 2 - 7 p.m. Thursday , April 20, 2023, at Kramer Funeral Home in Dyersville.  Visitation will continue from 9 – 10 a.m. at the funeral home prior to funeral services.

A Mass of Christian Burial will commence at 10:30 a.m., Friday, April 21, 2023, at SS. Peter & Paul Catholic Church in Petersburg with burial in the church cemetery.  Rev. Chris Podhajsky will officiate.

Fred was born on the Goedken Family Farm east of Petersburg on September 26, 1923, to Frank and Ida (Domeyer) Goedken. He was one of nine children.  As a young man, Fred loved to farm with his dad and siblings on the Goedken farm that had been in the family for generations. Fred loved the outdoors. He especially enjoyed trapping, along with fox and coyote hunting with his dad and his son in later years.

On September 15, 1949, Fred married Elaine Pins in Bankston, Iowa. Elaine shared his love of the land and the farm. Together they raised their six children on the Goedken Family farm. They were both active in the parish and community. Fred served on the first parish council of SS. Peter and Paul Church. He was one of the first Eucharistic Ministers for the Petersburg parish and served in that role for 23 years. He served on the Beckman High School Board for 3 years and on the New Vienna Coop Board for 15 years; part of that time as President.

Fred planted many trees on the farm as part of the timber reserve program. The Goedken Farm was a recipient of the Heritage Farm award at the Iowa State Fair in 2005. This award honors farms that have been in the same family for 150 years. All family members attended the awards ceremony in celebration. In 1996, Fred received the Pheasants Forever Conservationist of the Year Award. Fred was very proud of his farm and had a great work ethic but kept holy the Lord’s Day; he never worked on Sunday. When Dan and Mary Goedken took over the farm in 2000, Fred and Elaine built a home on an acreage on part the farm so he could still be a part of the farm. Fred continued his daily trips to the farm until his health prevented him from doing so. His help was greatly appreciated by his sons.

Fred was a baseball enthusiast and was a lifelong St. Louis Cardinals fan. As a young man, Fred pitched for the Petersburg Pirates baseball team. He passed his love for the sport down to his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. He was always up for a lively discussion about baseball and kept up on the current players and their stats.

Fred was a man of great faith. He prayed daily from a prayer book that his mother gave him on his wedding day. As he aged and could no longer see to read his prayer book, he would have his rosary in his hand for comfort. Fred and his family attended Sunday mass faithfully. He continued this until his health declined and prevented him from attending. Fred had a great memory and loved to talk about the changes he saw during his lifetime. He shared stories of the coming of electricity to the farm, the Great Depression, farming with horses, threshing time with neighbors, flying with his brother, Ralph, in a small Piper Pacer airplane hangered on the farm, steel wheel tractors and finally his pride and joy, John Deere tractors.

Fred is survived by his children: Linda Kerper of New Vienna, Steve, Dan (Mary) of Petersburg, Sharon (Mike) Wolfe of Ryan, Carmen (Santiago) Sanchez of Cedar Rapids and Kevin (Lisa) of Worthington, grandchildren: Chris (Danielle) Kerper, Cheri (Jamie) Biermann, Craig (Allison) Kerper, Amanda and Matthew Goedken, Shawn Wolfe, Nick (Fiancé Jen Schenk) Wolfe, Tim (Jenn) Wolfe, Kandi (Joe) Tesar, Jesse Wolfe, Ryan and Cody Goedken, step-grandchildren: Issac and Rebecca Sanchez, great-grandchildren; Elisabeth and Alexander Kerper, Max and Ellie Biermann and Jett Kerper, Meleah and Kaelyn Wolfe, sisters-in-law: Marilyn Beyer, Eileen Pins, and Carol Goedken.

Fred was preceded in death by his wife Elaine in 2005, parents: Frank and Ida Goedken, siblings; Irma (Ed) Deutmeyer, Emily (Ambrose) Osterhaus, Rita (Jim) Fangmann, Mildred (John) Reiter, Sister Ivan Goedken, Reverend Father Nestor Goedken, Ralph (Ruth) Goedken, Leonard (Catherine) Goedken, son-in-law, Steve Kerper, brothers and sisters-in-law: Clarence (Catherine) Pins, Lavern (Marcille) Pins, William Pins, Donna (Lloyd) Goerdt and Bill Beyer.

Fred’s family would like to extend a sincere thank you to Fred’s care team at The Good Neighbor Home in Manchester and to Hospice for the kindness and care they provided.

Online condolences may be left for the family at www.kramerfuneral.com or send cards to Kramer Funeral Home 750 – 12^th Ave SW, Dyersville, Iowa 52040 in care of the deceased name.