Phyllis Jean Frederickson

M109

Phyllis born September 18, 1928, Valley City, North Dakota
Died December 8, 2023, Surprise, Arizona
Daughter of German (Becker), Norwegian (Aygarn) and Scottish (Kerr) immigrants. Longtime resident of Valley City, North Dakota and later became a transplanted snowbird to Sun City West, Arizona.
Will always be remembered for her brilliant smile and infectious laugh. Grew up enjoying family outings, the outdoors, games, reading, music and barn dances. Excelled at school and graduated from Valley City High School in 1946. Growing up across the alley from the family Lutheran church created a lifelong influence of service and support to others. Always quick to support elder family members, neighbors, and friends. Was a caring daughter, niece, and sister-in-law.
Worked as a telephone operator for Northwestern Bell and meet her future husband, Leon Frederickson, a Navy veteran, while connecting him to phone calls to his sister Lois Wick. She found him quite handsome and thought he looked a lot like Elvis. Supported her husband’s businesses, Lee’s Texaco gas station and later the John Carlisle Company selling bulk Texaco oil to the farming community as well as Firestone Tires.
Mother of four children. Organized household engineer and astute financial manager. Had a strong sense of interior design and fashion and was an early adapter of bold jewel tone colors, leather furniture and shag carpet. Created beautiful landscaping and outdoor flowers.
Phyllis made sure all of her children learned how to swim and she took mothers’ classes herself. The whole family loved the water and annual vacations were taken to the Minnesota lakes with their close friends the Spitzers as well as day trips to fish and ski at Lake Ashtabula. Avid card player, book reader, and crossword puzzle whiz. Frequent quarter slot machine winner. When the older children left for college, a poodle named Beau Jacques was added to the family at daughter Beth’s request. Saturday mornings were spent at the local Carnegie library. A strong reading advocate, Phyllis encouraged her children to excel. Told others she had four great kids.
Upon moving to Arizona, she and her husband Leon made new friends through neighbors, other North Dakotan sunbirds, and members of the Lord of Life Lutheran Church. They travelled regionally throughout Arizona, Nevada and California.
Resilient and no-nonsense, Phyllis’s philosophy for life success was “buck up, own up, move on and get busy.”
Survived by four children-Dennis Frederickson, Linda (Paul) Renstrom, Karen Frederickson and Beth Pfeifer; three grandchildren-Jolie Frederickson, Matthew and Troy Pfeifer; and two great grandchildren-Alexander Fadden and Hannah Pfeifer. She lived to be 95 years old, felt she had a great life and died peacefully in her sleep.
Proceeded in death by her husband, Leon Frederickson, her parents Hazel and Carl Becker, brother Warren (Eleanor) Becker along with many close relatives and friends whose memories she cherished. The family requests no memorials-just that you read this with a smile and think fondly of her. Should you wish to send a message to the family, a site has been set up on Legacy.com. She will join her husband Leon Frederickson at the Lord of Life Lutheran Church columbarium in Sun City West, Arizona.
Memorial Service will be on Thursday, December 21, 2023 at 9:30 am at Lord of Life Lutheran Church, 13724 W. Meeker Blvd, Sun City West, AZ 85375.