Fred Burdock

Fred Burdock

Fred Burdock

Fred Burdock
October 28, 1924 – January 23, 2014
Pella, Iowa | Age 89

Fred J. Burdock, 89, of Pella and formerly of Oskaloosa, died Thursday, January 23, 2014, at the Hearthstone Cottages in Pella. He was born Tuesday, October 28, 1924, in Oskaloosa, the son of Joseph B. and Olivia Dooms Burdock.

Fred attended school in the Fairview country school in Harrison township of Mahaska County, and graduated from the Oskaloosa High School with the class of 1942. Fred later attended Murphy’s School of Business in Oskaloosa where he met his future wife, Muriel Kerr. On January 3, 1945, they were united in marriage at the Central United Methodist Church in Oskaloosa, and they were blessed with over 64 years of marriage. Muriel died April 29, 2009.

During high school, Fred helped his dad on the family farm. Following their marriage, Fred and Muriel lived and worked on several rental farms until buying a farm of their own north of Oskaloosa, where they raised their three children: Don, Eileen and Beverly. After all of their children were married, they moved back to the family farm south of Oskaloosa, and it was named a Century Farm in 2008. Here they opened Burdock Trucking and RV in 1971. Together they traveled the country with the RV business and made many friends.

Fred enjoyed showing RV’s at the Southern Iowa Fair and continued to service them until 2007 when he had a stroke and had to be admitted to Long Term Care Unit at Pella Regional Health Center. In 1996, Fred and Muriel were named the Senior King and Queen at the Southern Iowa Fair. Fred taught his children to hunt and fish to supply food for the table and was an avid mushroom hunter. He always had a very large garden. He found that his joy in life was helping others, especially his family. When he was younger, Fred was a member of the Izaak Walton League. He enjoyed neighborhood gatherings and was very supportive of his children and grandchildren and of all they’re many 4H projects.

His family includes a son: Donald (& Carla) Burdock of Keswick; two daughters: Eileen (& Lyle) Blom of Oskaloosa and Beverly (& Richard) Atchison of Pella; 10 grandchildren: Bob, Jeff and Kevin Burdock, Melissa Trumpold, Heather Fischer, Jack and Jay Blom, Janelle Blom Randau and Todd and Tedd Atchison; and many great grandchildren.

Besides his wife, Fred was preceded in death by his parents; and a sister: Emma Louise Moskop.

Funeral services will be held Tuesday, January 28, 2014 at 10:30 A.M. at the Bates Funeral Chapel in Oskaloosa with Reverend Charlie McMillian officiating.
A luncheon at Central United Methodist Church will immediately follow the funeral ceremony.
A graveside service and burial will be in the Highland Cemetery in Eddyville at 1 p.m.
Visitation will begin Monday after 1 p.m. in the Bates Funeral Chapel with the family present at the funeral chapel from 5 – 7 p.m. to greet friends and relatives.
Memorials may be made to the new Mahaska County Caldwell Conservation Center.

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