Leland Gust Frey

1930 - 2007

BORN

1930

DIED

2007

Leland Frey Obituary

Mr. Leland Gust Frey, life long resident Lodi, passed away unexpectedly with his family at his bedside in a Lodi hospital at the age of 76.
Mr. Frey was born November 7, 1930 in Lodi, CA to Gust and Myrtle Frey.
Mr. Frey attended and graduated form Lodi High School Class of 1949, where he played Quarterback for the Lodi Flames.
Mr. Frey worked for General Mills Inc. as a Maintenance Mechanic for 41 years before retiring in 1996.
He also owned and operated Frey Vineyards in Lodi and was best known for his Santa Rosa Plums. He was a proud United States Air Force and Korean War Veteran. Mr. Frey was a member of Lodi Moose Lodge #634, Lodi S.I.R.S., Lodi Eagles Lodge and the American Legion Post #22.
Mr. Frey was an avid gardener and also enjoyed morning walks, fishing, trips to Lake Tahoe, caring for his pets, and spending time with family and friends. He will be beast remembered as a loving and devoted husband, father and grandfather. He will be greatly missed.
He is survived by his companion, Mary Jane Winter of Lodi; 3 daughters, Debra Frey and husband, Ed Watson of Galt, Connie Pugh of Lodi and Christy Roberson and husband, Ken of Acampo; his mother, Myrtle Frey of Lodi; a step-son, Norman Stewart of Florida; 4 step-daughters, Anita Warren of Florida, Kathleen Stewart of Washington, Lorraine McCaffrey of Reno, NV, and JoAnn Hilscher of Lodi; a brother, Larry Frey and wife, Linda of Lodi; 16 grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his 2nd wife, Mildred Frey in 2000; a son, Douglas Frey in 1988; a brother, Clarence Frey in 2006 and a step-grandson, Isaac Stewart.
A chapel service will be held Friday April 13, 2007, 10:00 a.m. at the Lodi Funeral Home, followed by interment with military honors at the Lodi Memorial Park Cemetery.
Visitation will be held Thursday 12:00-8:00 p.m. at the Lodi Funeral Home.
Lodi Funeral Home is in charge of all arrangements.

Published by Lodi-News Sentinel from Apr. 10 to Apr. 17, 2007.

Memories and Condolences
for Leland Frey

5 Entries

Kathleen Stewart

April 29, 2007

My mother Millie and Leland were married for 33 years. She just passed away in May of 2000 in their home. Each had 4 kids at home when the two of them met at parents without partners and were in such hopes of bringing together a blended family.
Us kids were taken to see the movie Yours Mine and Ours before they told us they were going to marry.
My mother who grew up in an orphanage loved children and wanted to be the best mother to his children as well as her own and together they raised all of us.
Leland worked each day faithfully at General Mills and my mother who was a great business woman built a very successful home rental business. as well as taking care of her husband and all the children and she started buying rentals in which she would work hard fixing up and keeping them rented .
Most of us children picked fruit along side of her in the orchards and moved all the limbs when Leland pruned the trees. We learned to thin fruit so the ones left would grow larger.
My mothers also worked many nights till 2am finishing up wallpapering jobs for local business. I know this because I was with her helping many times but more often it was our sisters JoAnn and Christy who were always at her side helping her in her wallpaper and painting business.
I was more often helping in rentals I learned to do drywall taping and could patch holes when renters tore things up. My brother Norman remolded one of the homes completely and helped work on most the others.
The only thing us kids didn’t do was pick the grapes, there was workers brought in to do that. I did however make some homemade wine.
Life at home didn’t always go as well as in the movies however and it was a challenge to have such a large family. I do know both Leland and my mother who had never had parents to teach her were doing the best they could with what they knew at the time. I myself just wanted to be one big happy family no matter who’s blood you were.
I will forever miss my brother Doug, Leland’s son who passed away as a young adult. I loved him so much.
For me it was a wonderful life. I loved the country living and all the kids to grow up with. I wanted to go on to live in the country and have a large family of my own. I did that having 5 of my own children I also had stepchildren and foster children and am now raising Leland’s grandson who is learning disabled and his great granddaughter Violet who is now 7 months old and is the love of my life.
I am not happy with the passing away of my parents. Who will I go to for advise now? Am I ready and wise enough to be an elder myself? It will be strange not having a family home to go back to on Taylor Road and last but not least I will miss Leland’s fugi persimmons . Yum yum!!!! He REALLY knew how to grow them.

Lorraine McCaffrey

April 14, 2007

I will always have warm memorys of Leland. When I was 15 my mom and him were married and I watched how hard her and him worked to achive what the two of them did in the real estate world. I spent many, many days driving back and forth to Lodi from Reno with my children to spend time with them. He may have been my step-father but to me he was more then that. I will miss you Leland...
Lorraine McCaffrey

Robert Bader

April 12, 2007

My most sincere sympathy to Mary and the family. It has been a pleasure to know Leland, a good and honorable man for these past 60 years. Godspeed, Lee!

Philip Frey

April 12, 2007

God bless your family in its loss.

Debra Frey

April 11, 2007

To my dearest family, some things I'd like to say...
but first of all, to let you know, that I arrived okay.
I'm writing this from heaven. Here I dwell with God above.
Here, there's no more tears of sadness; here is just eternal love.

Please do not be unhappy just because I'm out of sight.
Remember that I'm with you every morning, noon and night.
That day I had to leave you when my life on earth was through,
God picked me up and hugged me and He said, "I welcome you."

It's good to have you back again; you were missed while you were gone.
As for your dearest family, they'll be here later on.
I need you here badly; you're part of my plan.
There's so much that we have to do, to help our mortal man."

God gave me a list of things, that he wished for me to do.
And foremost on the list, was to watch and care for you.
And when you lie in bed at night, the day's chores put to flight.
God and I are closest to you....in the middle of the night.

When you think of my life on earth, and all those loving years
because you are only human, they are bound to bring you tears.
But do not be afraid to cry; it does relieve the pain.
Remember there would be no flowers, unless there was some rain.

I wish that I could tell you all that God has planned.
But if I were to tell you, you wouldn't understand.
But one thing is for certain, though my life on earth is o'er.
I'm closer to you now, than I ever was before.

There are many rocky roads ahead of you and many hills to climb;
but together we can do it by taking one day at a time.
It was always my philosophy and I'd like it for you too...
that as you give unto the world, the world will give to you.

If you can help somebody who's in sorrow and pain,
then you can say to God at night......"My day was not in vain."
And now I am contented....that my life has been worthwhile,
knowing as I passed along the way, I made somebody smile.

So if you meet somebody who is sad and feeling low,
just lend a hand to pick him up, as on your way you go.
When you're walking down the street, and you've got me on your mind;
I'm walking in your footsteps only half a step behind.

And when it's time for you to go.... from that body to be free,
remember you're not going.....you're coming here to me.

Ruth Ann Mahaffey (author)
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