FERN FRICKE, 90 of Ogallala, passed away Friday, July 24, 2020, at her daughter's home in Ogallala. Arrangements are pending at the Prairie Hills Funeral Home.
Fern was born March 6, 1930, at Arnold, Nebraska, to Emery Paul and Violet (Bartholomew) Alexander. She attended school in Arnold.
In 1946, Fern married Roland Richards. Their union was blessed with two children, Shirley and Freddy. Following the end of that marriage, Fern would eventually go on to meet and marry Fredrick Fricke in 1955. Fern and Fredrick were blessed with two children, Linda and Dwight.
Fern had a charitable heart and gave increasingly of herself in most everything she did. She had worked as a dental assistant before eventually going to work at the Ogallala Hospital as a nurse aid. When Fern decided to retire from the hospital, she would later choose to become a paraprofessional educator. Her work as a paraprofessional ultimately garnered an educational award.
Fern was a faithful and loving woman, which flowed into many aspects of her life. From the way she literally clothed her family with the clothing she sewed, the bread that she made to feed them, to the music they played and enjoyed together as a family, faith, and love were guiding and foundational principles.
Fern loved the outdoors, especially growing flowers and feeding the birds and squirrels. She was talented musically, and could play nearly any instrument she picked up. She often played the organ for church.
Fern was also very creative and loved to make crafts. She used spray paint to repurpose the unexpected, which aligned nicely with her broader ideals of never being wasteful. This principle even applied to her time, as she chose to volunteer it generously to the causes she believed in, like the Mansion on the Hill, Boothill, The Petrified Wood Gallery and Women's Resource Center, among other things.
Fern will be remembered by her loved ones for many things, like her love and care, gentleness, work ethic, and faithfulness. She was a matriarch of her family and a caring heart and gentle hand to others, from family, patients, to students.
Fern was preceded in death by her husband Fred; son, Freddy; grandchildren, Kerri and Terry Avery; brother, Leonard; 3 sisters, Pauline, Ardella, Viona.
Survivors include her children, Linda Avery of Ogallala, Shirley Schacht of Aurora, and Dwight (Vicky) Fricke of Ogallala; 11 grandchildren; a multitude of great and great-great-grandchildren; a brother, Elmer (Char) Alexander of North Platte; along with many nieces, nephews other relatives and friends.
A memorial has been established in her memory for later designation. Condolences may be shared at prairiehillsfuneralhome.com, where a recording of her service will be posted.
A private family service will be held at the Prairie Hills Funeral Home in Ogallala on Tuesday. Burial will be in the Ogallala Cemetery.
Prairie Hills Funeral Home of Ogallala is in charge of arrangements.