Frederick C. Wilde, 88, died Wednesday, March 16, 2005 at Northwest Medical Center, Thief River Falls, MN.

Funeral service will be at 11:00 A.M. on Saturday, March 19, 2005 at Ebenezer Lutheran Church, rural Oklee, MN with Reverend Gwenn Bazajou officiating. Burial will be in Ebenezer Cemetery, Mayfield Township, Pennington County, MN.

Visitation will be from 5:00 P.M. to 7:00 P.M. on Friday, March 18, 2005 at Johnson Funeral Service in Thief River Falls, MN with a 7:00 P.M. prayer service on Friday evening and at the church for one hour prior to services on Saturday.

Frederick Fred C. Wilde was born February 6, 1917 in Pennington County, Minnesota, on the Wilde Family Claim, the son of Wilbur H. and Alice Mae (Cox) Wilde. He was delivered by his 16 year old sister. He was baptized and confirmed at Ebenezer Lutheran Church, rural Oklee, MN and attended rural school.

Fred started farming at the age of nine. He moved to the Family Farm in 1933 at the age of 16 and purchased the farm in 1938 from his parents, at the age of 21. Freds life long work was to tend to the animals, farm the land and revamp machinery. Fred was a steadfast steward of his farmstead, where he lived for 72 years of his life. He bought the only school he ever attended and moved it home, where he made it into a farm shop. He always said that is where he continued to learn.

Fred lived his life by the 10 Commandments and left his family with a strong heritage and Godly values. He was a life long member of Ebenezer Lutheran Church, where he served on the church council and was president of the Ebenezer Cemetery Board.

On March 14, 1941, Fred was united in marriage to Erma Viola Bakken at the Lutheran Parsonage in Thief River Falls, MN. In 1979 Fred and Erma decided to spread their wings and traveled to seven countries in Europe. They found Switzerland to be their favorite fun place . They celebrated their 55 years of marriage in 1996.

Survivors include daughters: Sharon (Roger) Forsberg and Diane (Douglas) Torblaa, all of Thief River Falls, MN, Lois (Lynn) Anderson and Carol (Budd) Mermon, all of Lake Park, MN; sons, Ralph and Leslie (Trudy) Wilde, Thief River Falls, MN and Dale Wilde, Detroit Lakes, MN; 27 grandchildren; 38 great grandchildren; daughter-in-law, Sheryl Wilde of Oklee, MN; and sister-in-law, Ruby Wilde of Fosston, MN; and several nieces and nephews.

Fred is preceded in death by wife, Erma, September 24, 2001; son, Dennis; grandson, Joshua Wilde; parents; three brothers: Milo, David and Lawrence; and three sisters: Grace Zimmer, Leone Murphy and Hattie Monson.