Gwendolyn Anna Frederiksen

Gwendolyn Anna Frederiksen, the daughter of Chris and Mable (Christensen) Thygesen, was born June 9, 1928, at her parents’ home in rural Audubon County, Iowa and died March 28, 2018, at the Atlantic Specialty Care in Atlantic, Iowa at the age of 89 years, 9 months, and 19 days.

Gwendolyn was baptized August 5, 1928, and later confirmed at Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church in Audubon, Iowa. She attended rural schools in the Hamlin area.

On February 8, 1950, she was united in marriage to Franklin D. Frederiksen at Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church in Audubon. They were blessed with four daughters Dianna, Marsha, Julie, and Emily. Gwendolyn was a home maker for many years raising the children and helping Franklin operate their farm south of Hamlin, Iowa where they grew grain and raised livestock. In 1975, they purchased a farm south of Adair, Iowa which they operated and lived on. In addition to helping Franklin farm, Gwendolyn was also employed for over 25 years in the dietary department at the Good Samaritan Home in Fontenelle, Iowa. Franklin died on March9, 2003. Gwendolyn made her home in Atlantic, Iowa which she enjoyed until she moved to the Atlantic Specialty Care in February of 2018.

In her younger years, Gwendolyn was a member of several neighborhood card clubs. She enjoyed sewing and cooking and always had large flower garden. She also had a large vegetable garden and enjoyed canning the delicious produce. When she moved to Atlantic she organized marble games for her apartment complex. Gwendolyn was always considered kind and humble and always looked forward to spending time with her family especially her grandchildren.

Preceding her in death in addition to her husband Franklin; was her parents; and her sister Francis and husband Sam LaFoy; her brother-in-law Ernie Albertsen; and her sister-in-law Sally Coulthard.

Survivors include her children Dianna ( Robert) Essington of Atlantic, Iowa, Marsha (Dan) Merschbrock of Eldridge, Iowa, Julie Huff of Atlantic, Iowa, and Emily Hansen of Springfield, Nebraska; her grandchildren: Tanya Essington of Atlantic, Iowa, William (Sarah) Essington of Omaha, Nebraska, Sara (Brian) Power of Eldridge, Iowa, Frederik Huff of Bay City, Wisconsin, Michael Barnes of Yankton, South Dakota; 14 great grandchildren; and one great-great granddaughter; her brother Larry (Lois) Thygesen of Audubon, Iowa; her brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law: Curtis Frederiksen of Audubon, Iowa, Ardys Albertsen of Carroll, Iowa, and Dr. Stanley Coulthard of Tucson, Arizona; nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends.