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Curt Frey
March 02, 1942 - October 16, 2009
Oskaloosa, Iowa
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| Visitation: Will begin at noon, Monday, October 19, 2009 at Garland-Van Arkel-Langkamp Funeral Chapel; the family will be present from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m., Monday evening, to greet visitors. |
| Funeral Service: 2:00 p.m., Tuesday afternoon, October 20, 2009 at St. Paul Congregational United Church of Christ with Reverend Liz Colton officiating. |
Interment: As was his wish, Curt's body will be cremated following his Celebration of Life Service and his ashes will be buried at Villisca Cemetery at a later time.
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Curt began chemotherapy treatment for leukemia on June 24th, 2009. He faced the disease with courage, hope, and humor, and he died in his sleep on the morning of October 16, 2009 at Iowa Methodist Medical Center in Des Moines. He was 67 years of age.
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Walter Curtis Frey was born March 2, 1942 in Clarinda, Iowa, the first son of Walter Leore and Maxine M. Mace Frey of Nodaway, Iowa. He attended grades one through eleven at the Nodaway Public Schools before graduating from Villisca High School in 1960. After graduation, he worked every summer at the family farm and for the CB&Q railroad to pay for his education. He attended Clarinda Community College for two years, and was accepted into the University of Northern Iowa at Cedar Falls, then known as the State College of Iowa. His teaching degree was awarded in 1965. He completed graduate coursework in history at the University of Northern Colorado during the summers from 1967 until 1969.
Curt dated Shirley Jean Needham his senior year in Villisca, and throughout college; they were married June 6, 1964 at the Advent Christian Church in Villisca. During their first year of marriage, Curt worked on local farms and as a substitute teacher in the Denver, Iowa school district. In 1965, both he and Shirley found teaching positions at Oskaloosa Junior High School, where he taught history and social studies for 33 years, retiring in 1998. During his career, he was a passionate advocate for the public schools, and he devoted his time and talents to improving the welfare of students and teachers in Oskaloosa and across Iowa. He was an active member of OEA/ISEA/NEA, a State Unit Nine officer, and he attended State Delegate Assembly. After retirement, he was active in ISEA/NEA-R and Mahaska County/Iowa Retired School Personnel Association.
Curt was a member of St. Paul Congregational United Church of Christ, served often on church boards, and was a Keomah City Councilman for over thirty years. An enthusiastic scholar, a lifetime learner, a historian par excellence (so dubbed by a colleague), Curt spent a lifetime reading everything he found in print, viewing documentaries, traveling and visiting historical sites and museums. He thoroughly enjoyed teaching, finding kindred spirits in interests, and visiting with people. He loved his animal friends, had a deep appreciation for the environment, and enjoyed spending time in nature. He often could be found working in the yard, taking care of his home, maintaining the city property of Keomah, or sharing a joke or story with the neighbors.
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He is survived by his wife, Shirley, and their daughter Heidi (and James) Frey of Oshkosh, WI; his sister Cheryl (and Bob) Lyall of Indianola, IA and their two daughters; his brother Lyle (and Susan) Frey of Villisca, IA and their two daughters.
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He was preceded in death by his parents.
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Memorials may be made to St. Paul Congregational United Church of Christ.
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