Frederick Ellis Kissinger

Frederick Ellis Kissinger, age 93, of Ottawa, Kansas, passed away Saturday, August 8, 2020, at Baldwin Healthcare & Rehabilitation. Family will meet with friends from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., Thursday, August 13, 2020, at Dengel & Son Mortuary, Ottawa. Private graveside will be held later. Frederick was born January 4, 1927, at Valley View, the family farm near Homewood, KS, to Howard A. and Leota (Fisher) Kissinger. Being a farm kid, he embraced the culture of hard work and pride in well cared for livestock. Some of his chores included helping to bottle and deliver milk to the grocery stores in Ottawa, gather and crate eggs for his mother to sell, and caring for the baby calves. This work helped to keep the family's head above water during the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl of the 30's. It was on that farm that his grandfather, Alex Fisher, taught him and his brother, Homer, to swim in the pond along with other leisure adventures. He attended Valley View School until seventh grade when he came to Ottawa Jr/Sr High where he was a stand out and captain on the football team, was active in the FFA, and graduated with the class of 1945. It was here that he also met the love of his life, Eleanor Seright, to whom he was married on July 29, 1945. Upon graduation, he entered a partnership with his father in a dairy farm operation raising and milking registered Guernsey cattle and farming from 200 to 400 acres of additional rented crop land. In 1947, Fred was named Star Farmer of Kansas for his gains and innovations as a young farmer. He became instrumental in many local and state organizations promoting the Guernsey breed, and general betterment of the rural lifestyle as an officer of Hawkins Grange and as the charter community leader of Silverleaf 4-H Club (he remained a 4-H project leader for Silverleaf for many years, followed by many more years with Town and Country 4-H, for a total of 50-plus years of 4-H). Fred was baptized and became an active member of the Church of Christ, first at the N. Poplar location, and currently at the 15th Street Church of Christ. He became an elder of the church in 1970 and had the honor and deep responsibility of that until he resigned in 2008. One of his tenets was, if you spend all your time hating the devil and sin, when do you have time to love the Lord and goodness? In 1965, Fred made a serious vocational change, decreasing his dairy herd and going to work in production at Citation Homes, a division of Commodore Homes, and later known as Bendix. He quickly became a production foreman, then moved to quality control, before the plant closed after 21 years in October 1986. At the age of 59, he made another career change to driving the big asphalt trucks for Killough Construction. He always looked at the brighter side of all things, and even when the temperatures were as hot out as the asphalt that he was spreading, he loved going to work, even into his 70's. In all of his “careers” he made warm and lasting friendships and spoke fondly of them all. Fred and Eleanor were wonderful parents of six children, all of whom they led to the Lord. His children, who all survive him are Frederick Wayne (wife Velma), Diana (husband Dan Kay), Barbee (husband Fred Savage), Carolyn (husband Dan Horne), Lori (husband Greg Hazen), and Lowell (wife Lisa). Grandchildren surviving include Devon Kissinger (wife Paula), Dr. Marc Kissinger (wife Denise), Jennifer (husband Tim Eden), Jeremy Kay (wife Crystal), Peter Kay (wife Dr. Jennifer), Kristin Kay, Fredrick Savage (wife Elysha), Lynda (husband Ron Harder), Jessica Savage, Kathryn Savage, Tony Horne (wife Amber), Jonathan Horne (wife Mandy), Jodi (husband Keith Bergkamp), Sara Horne, Joe Hazen (wife Tiffinie), Josh Hazen (wife Austin), Ashlea (husband Mike Confer), Eric Hazen, Talia Bayer, Benjamin Kissinger (wife Victoria), and David Kissinger, 45 great-grandchildren, and 11 great-great grandchildren. Also surviving are his sister, Luetta (husband Donald Porter) of Greenville, SC, and many nieces, nephews, and cousins. Eleanor preceded Fred in death in October 2010 after 65 years of marriage. He was also preceded by his parents, his brothers, Howard “Buddy” Kissinger and Homer E Kissinger, and grandchildren, Josh, William, and Margaret Horne, Becky Savage and great-grandson, Blake Eden. Fred was a gentleman and a gentle man. He treated all people with respect and kindness, generous to a fault. He also loved and treated his farm animals and pets with a gentle hand, and especially loved his latest little dog, Princess, who “gave him a reason to get up in the mornings.” His favorite mornings were spent watching the cows and calves grazing in the pasture behind his house and watching the birds who came to his feeder. He often spoke of God's grace when he observed nature and considered it a gift that we were able to just experience the beauty. The family suggests memorial contributions to the Franklin County 4-H Development or FFA c/o Dengel & Son Mortuary, 235 S. Hickory, Ottawa, Kansas 66067.