Frederick Kleinwaechter

Frederick E. Kleinwaechter, 79, of Copper Center passed away at home April 21, 2011, from cancer.

A visitation will be held Wednesday from 5 to 8 p.m. at Legacy Funeral Home's Bragaw Chapel, 1707 S. Bragaw St. in Anchorage. A funeral service be Thursday at 9 a.m. at the Bragaw Chapel. Interment with full military honors will take place at Fort Richardson National Cemetery.

Fred was born Aug. 12, 1931, in Cincinnati, Ohio. He grew up in Ohio.

At age 17 he joined the Army, serving our nation for 23 years.

After retiring from the Army, he began working through Operating Engineers Local 302. He was a heavy equipment operator. Fred worked all over the great state of Alaska, from the North Slope to the edge of the Aleutian Islands.

In 1974, he decided it was time to retire. He had traveled throughout North America and the world, but he felt that Copper Center was the best place to be. So he settled there with his bulldozer and his backhoe, which were his babies. He and his friends operated a fish wheel there every summer.

He met his future wife, Delores, in 1985, and they were married shortly after.

Fred was a proud life member of the VFW in Anchorage. He belonged to the Palmer Elks, the Eagles in Cincinnati and the American Legion in Glennallen.

He will be dearly missed.

Fred is survived by his wife, Delores; sons, Joseph and Edward Kleinwaechter; stepsons, Brian and Jeff Eberhart; and stepdaughter, Kathy Sturwold. Fred's brother Herbert also survives him. He had many grandchildren and great-grandchildren who will miss him.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Edward and Nora Kleinwaechter; and two sisters, Dorothy and Charlotte.

Arrangements are by Legacy Funeral Homes.