Home > United States of America > South Dakota > Clay County > Vermillion > Saint Agnes Calvary Cemetery > John Frederick “Fritz” Bartels

John Frederick “Fritz” Bartels

View larger map

Birth	:	14 Dec 1931 Hubbard, Dakota County, Nebraska, USA
Death	:	14 Mar 2015 Sioux Falls, Minnehaha County, South Dakota, USA
Burial	:	Saint Agnes Calvary Cemetery, Vermillion, Clay County, USA
Coordinate	:	42.7715900, -96.9072100
Description	:	John F. “Fritz” Bartels, 83, of Vermillion, SD, passed away on Saturday, March 14, 2015 at Sanford/USD Medical Center in Sioux Falls, SD after being ill for several months. John Frederick Bartels was born on Dec. 14, 1931, the second eldest of six children born to Freddie and Babe Bartels of Hubbard, Neb. They nicknamed him Fritz, the only name most people knew him by, which became clear when he was hospitalized and visitors at Sanford Hospital in Sioux Falls were told, “I’m sorry, we don’t have a patient named Fritz Bartels.” He married Mary Lorraine Fritz on May 23, 1953 in... Read More	John F. “Fritz” Bartels, 83, of Vermillion, SD, passed away on Saturday, March 14, 2015 at Sanford/USD Medical Center in Sioux Falls, SD after being ill for several months. John Frederick Bartels was born on Dec. 14, 1931, the second eldest of six children born to Freddie and Babe Bartels of Hubbard, Neb. They nicknamed him Fritz, the only name most people knew him by, which became clear when he was hospitalized and visitors at Sanford Hospital in Sioux Falls were told, “I’m sorry, we don’t have a patient named Fritz Bartels.” He married Mary Lorraine Fritz on May 23, 1953 in South Sioux City, Neb. The couple talked about having six children but turned out to be overachievers and produced nine. In his earlier days, Mr. Bartels used to lament about having only two boys and seven girls but later on he said with girls you get kids who could work both inside and outside. When his youngest children -- otherwise known as the “four little girls” -- bought him a multi-colored pair of “jams” for Father’s Day one year, he said, “I look like a peacock in heat.” But it wasn't the shorts that drew laughter, it was his bird legs. When his wife Mary said she needed a banana every day to keep up her energy, he quipped, “It would take a Chiquita factory.” He served in the Navy during the Korean War and drove the landing craft to shore to drop off soldiers and pick up bodies. For most of his life, he rarely talked about the war, instead telling his children about his time on Guam where he loved playing cards with his fellow sailors. Mr. and Mrs. Bartels moved to a farm outside Meckling, S.D., in 1956. Over time they became avid fans of the University of South Dakota Coyotes and everything else Vermillion. They moved “to town” in 1990. After Mr. Bartels was hospitalized in Sioux Falls, all he could think of was getting back to Vermillion and seeing his friends. He went into the hospital on Dec. 9 and left on Feb. 18. It was a shock to all when he became sick again and was re-admitted on March 12. During Mr. Bartels’ career, he farmed, welded and designed and built grain bins, elevators and feed mills across a wide swath of the Midwest. With an uncanny understanding of math, he drew detailed engineering schematics. His work ethic was legendary and even in his ‘60s and ‘70s he was overseeing projects. He is survived by his wife of 62 years, Mary of Vermillion; his nine children: Joe (Jodene), of Sioux Falls, Mary Kay (Dennis) Zimmerman of Vermillion, Lynn Bartels of Denver, CO, Jeanne (Jim) Rayburn of Albuquerque, NM, Jerry (Julia) of Bow Valley, NE, Susan (Bruce) Welz of Minocqua, WI, Brigid (Brian) Bungum of Denver, CO, Caroline Bartels, of New York City, NY, and Kitty (David) DiMartino of Silver Spring, MD; seventeen grandchildren he delighted in teasing, and three great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents, his sisters Marian Rehg and Joan Walsh, his brother Eugene Bartels, and his daughter-in-law Deborah Buckmieir Bartels. Fritz Bartels could count on one hand the things that really mattered to him: his family, friends, his wife's brisket, the USD Coyotes and the laughter he inspired with his famous one-liners. [Courtesy: Kober Funeral Home]

frequently asked questions (FAQ):

Where is John Frederick “Fritz” Bartels's memorial?
John Frederick “Fritz” Bartels's memorial is located at: Saint Agnes Calvary Cemetery, Vermillion, Clay County, USA.
When did John Frederick “Fritz” Bartels death?
John Frederick “Fritz” Bartels death on 14 Mar 2015 in Sioux Falls, Minnehaha County, South Dakota, USA
Where are the coordinates of the John Frederick “Fritz” Bartels's memorial?
Latitude: 42.7715900
Longitude: -96.9072100

Family Members:

Parent

Freddie August Bartels

(1906 - 2000)

Mary Camilla “Babe” Hartnett Bartels

(1907 - 1992)

Siblings

Mary Joan Bartels Walsh

(1935 - 2006)

Flowers:

Nearby Cemetories:

1. Saint Agnes Calvary Cemetery
Vermillion, Clay County, USA
Coordinate: 42.7715900, -96.9072100

2. Bluff View Cemetery
Vermillion, Clay County, USA
Coordinate: 42.7714000, -96.9056000

3. Saint Agnes Cemetery
Vermillion, Clay County, USA
Coordinate: 42.7872009, -96.8499985

4. Dowlin Cemetery
Burbank, Clay County, USA
Coordinate: 42.7789001, -96.8107986

5. Gibb's Cemetery
Newcastle, Dixon County, USA
Coordinate: 42.6985100, -96.8518400

6. Saint Peter Greenfield Cemetery
Vermillion, Clay County, USA
Coordinate: 42.8608017, -96.8644028

7. Clay Creek Cemetery
Clay County, USA
Coordinate: 42.8516998, -96.9788971

8. Ionia Cemetery
Newcastle, Dixon County, USA
Coordinate: 42.6893997, -96.8300018

9. Maskell Cemetery
Maskell, Dixon County, USA
Coordinate: 42.6878014, -96.9916992

10. Halverson Cemetery
Maskell, Dixon County, USA
Coordinate: 42.6908600, -97.0013500

11. Ahlsborg Lutheran Cemetery
Union County, USA
Coordinate: 42.8228000, -96.7612000

12. Saint Mary Cemetery
Union County, USA
Coordinate: 42.8520584, -96.7877502

13. Newcastle Cemetery
Newcastle, Dixon County, USA
Coordinate: 42.6550500, -96.8708700

14. Spirit Mound Cemetery
Clay County, USA
Coordinate: 42.8885994, -96.9424973

15. Saint Peters Calvary Cemetery
Newcastle, Dixon County, USA
Coordinate: 42.6533800, -96.8744700

16. Clay Point Cemetery
Prairie Center Township, Clay County, USA
Coordinate: 42.8987700, -96.9065600

17. Lime Grove Cemetery
Maskell, Dixon County, USA
Coordinate: 42.6632400, -96.9990500

18. Lime Creek Cemetery
Maskell, Dixon County, USA
Coordinate: 42.6569600, -97.0004700

19. Obert Cemetery
Obert, Cedar County, USA
Coordinate: 42.6702995, -97.0289001

20. Evergreen Cemetery
Meckling, Clay County, USA
Coordinate: 42.7896996, -97.0903015

21. Taylor Cemetery
Clay County, USA
Coordinate: 42.8372002, -97.0785980

22. Brule Creek Cemetery
Spink Township, Union County, USA
Coordinate: 42.8346510, -96.7324350

23. Meckling Cemetery
Meckling, Clay County, USA
Coordinate: 42.8252983, -97.0919037

24. Union County Poor Farm Cemetery
Union County, USA
Coordinate: 42.7649210, -96.7077580