Jeroy Charles “Chuck” Fredrickson, 81, of Wanamingo, passed away peacefully surrounded by his loving family on Sunday, October 30, 2022, at the Mayo Clinic Hospital, St. Marys Campus. He was born on August 7, 1941, to Joel and Ruth (Olson) Fredrickson on the family farm two miles northeast of Wanamingo. Chuck was baptized and confirmed at Minneola Lutheran Church, where he was a lifelong member. He grew up helping out on the family farm and graduated from Wanamingo High School in the class of 1959. In June of 1959, Chuck enlisted in the United States’ Navy. In the Navy, he attended boot camp at the Great Lakes Naval Training Center, trained in California on the Morse code, went to teletype school in Texas, and then received a duty assignment in Bremerhaven, Germany. In August of 1962, Chuck was honorably discharged from the Navy and brought a 1959 VW Beetle home with him. Once he returned home, he enrolled in AC/DC electronics school at the Northwestern Electronics Institute in Minneapolis and graduated in 1965. On July 11, 1964, Chuck was united in marriage to Shirley Ehlers at St. John’s Evangelical Lutheran Church in Red Wing. They moved to Wanamingo in 1965 and began their family there with the birth of their daughter, Melissa, and son, Matthew. Chuck began his thirty-year career at IBM in product testing and hardware in 1965 and retired in 1995. After retirement, he drove semi-truck part time and was a supplemental employee for IBM. He was a member of the Wanamingo VFW Post #186, the Wanamingo VFW Veterans Honor Guard, and the U.S. Naval Cryptologic Veterans Association. Chuck enjoyed hunting and fishing, reading, watching birds, taking photos, playing guitar, watching the Minnesota sports teams, but most of all spending time with his family. With his faith being very important to him, Chuck was active in the Minneola Lutheran Church and he and Shirley sang in the church choir for many years.
Chuck is survived by his loving wife of 58 years, Shirley Fredrickson of Wanamingo; two children, Melissa (Mark) Erickson of Zumbrota and Matthew (Lisa) Fredrickson of White Bear Lake; four grandchildren, Kaleigh (Brian) Agrimson of Mazeppa, Emilee Fredrickson of Lakeville, Noah (Hannah) Erickson of Zumbro Falls, and Jared Fredrickson of Rochester; and three great-grandchildren, Marlee and Johnny Agrimson and Eden Erickson.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Joel and Ruth Fredrickson; step-mother, Audrey Fredrickson; and siblings, Sandra Wallaker-Vold, Susan Martinson, Sharon Deraas, and Bill Fredrickson.
Memorial service was at 11 a.m. on Saturday, November 5, 2022, at Minneola Lutheran Church. Reverend Hannah Bergstrom de Leon officiated. Visitation was from 4:30 until 7:30 p.m. on Friday, November 4, 2022, at the Mahn Family Funeral Home, Larson Chapel in Zumbrota and one hour prior to the service at the church. Burial was in the Minneola Lutheran Church Cemetery with full military honors provided. In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred to the Minneola Lutheran Church.
