Frieda Ketterling

Frieda Ketterling, 91, of Wishek, ND, passed away on February 2, 2025, at Sanford Health in Bismarck. Visitation will be on Friday, February 7, 2025, from 6:00 to 7:00 PM, with a prayer service at 7:00 PM at Feist Funeral Home in Wishek. Funeral services will be held on Saturday, February 8, 2025, at 10:30 AM at St. Luke Lutheran Church in Wishek. Burial will follow at St. Andrew's Lutheran Cemetery in Zeeland. A livestream of Frieda's funeral service will be available on the St. Luke Wishek YouTube page.
Frieda was born on June 25, 1933, on a farm near Zeeland, to Andrew and Magdalena (Martell) Thurn. She was baptized and confirmed at St. Andrew's Lutheran Church in Zeeland. Frieda attended rural school north of Zeeland. She married Arndt Ketterling on March 28, 1954, in Ashley. They lived near Eureka for six months before moving to a farm north of Zeeland, where they farmed and ranched.
Together, Frieda and Arndt built a wonderful life, raising livestock, chickens, ducks, pigs, milking cows, and cultivating grains and gardens. They welcomed friends, family, and neighbors into their home for meals, pinochle games, holiday celebrations, and June birthday gatherings, often needing to use the quonset to accommodate the many guests.
Frieda was a founding member of the Zeeland Country Homemakers Club, serving for nearly 49 years until the group disbanded. The club focused on raising funds for charities supporting children and the underprivileged, including serving meals at auctions and wedding dances. Frieda was proud of their work and their ability to support non-profits that helped others.
A skilled cook and food preserver, Frieda's cellar was a masterpiece, with jars of cherries, peaches, and vegetables lining the shelves. Each summer, she raised and fattened 1,800 chickens to be butchered and sold to customers, often recruiting nieces and nephews to assist in the process.
Frieda continued to share her love of cooking by working at the Wishek Country Club, where she served supper once a week to golfers (weather permitting). The golfers loved her cooking and enjoyed her company when she joined them for a game of pinochle after meal cleanup. Arndt, of course, was her right-hand and participated in the pinochle games as well. In 2008, Frieda and Arndt retired and moved to Wishek.
Frieda was a lifelong member of St. Andrew's Lutheran Church, where she served for many years as a Sunday School teacher, Sunday School Superintendent, and church council member. At the time of her death, she was a member of St. Luke Lutheran Church in Wishek.
She is survived by her two sons: James (Donna) Ketterling of Pensacola, FL, and Glenn Ketterling of Zeeland; three grandchildren: Nicholas Ketterling, Abbey (Chris) Ketterling, and Andy Ketterling; two great-grandchildren: Olivia Ketterling and Sebastian Ketterling; sister-in-law, Bernice Thurn of Bismarck; and numerous nieces and nephews.
Frieda was preceded in death by her parents, Andrew and Magdalena Thurn; daughter-in-law, Lisa Ketterling (wife of James and mother of their three grandchildren); brother, Elmer Thurn; and sister, Ruth (Marvin) Speidel.
Funeral Service: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DN70MtARHcs