FREDERICK BICHSEL

Frederick Gregory Bichsel, 77, of Quincy, Ill., died November 28, 2022, in Good Samaritan Home. He was born on January 25, 1945, in Leonard, Mo., the son of Joseph Otho Bichsel & Tolliver Marie “Tollie” McNeill. He married Fae McEwen on May 29, 1965. She died Jan. 26, 2019.

Fred was a member of St. Peter Catholic Church, was an avid fan of the St. Louis Cardinals, and was always up for a game of poker. He was a fixture of Quincy industrial history, working his entire career through all iterations of the plant that was first Electric Wheel, then Firestone, Can-Am, and now Titan Wheel. The name Bichsel is Swiss German for “little box” and denotes a woodworker. Fred lived up to his name as a lifelong carpenter, crafting many pieces of furniture, cabinetry, and small items for family and friends. His shop was a social space where people would often stop by, chat, and enjoy a few beers.

Fred is survived by four children, Jacqueline Bichsel and her husband Tom Memminger,Lenoir City, Tenn.; John Bichsel, Fairfield, Ill.; Eric Bichsel and his wife Paula, Quincy; and Amanda Bichsel and her partner Johnnie Fiedelman, Denver, Col. Five grandchildren, Aleah Valdez, Kayla Bichsel, Cody Bichsel, Morgan Bichsel, and Mackenzie Bichsel, nine great-grandchildren, Logan Valdez, Tyson Davis, Malique Davis, Annaela Bichsel, Dewan Lloyd Jr., Cannon Bichsel, Marie Bichsel, Hendrix Bichsel, and Robert Lee Lindsey III. Also surviving are two siblings, Kenny Bichsel and his wife Roberta; and Angela Lepper and her husband Kent, and many nieces, nephews, and other relatives and friends.

Fred was preceded in death by his parents; his wife; seven siblings: Eleanor Kidwell, Bernard Bichsel, George Bichsel, Paul Bichsel, Rita Stark, Pat Bichsel, and John Bichsel; and his daughter, Pamela Valdez.

Funeral services were held December 3, 2022, at Duker & Haugh Funeral Home and a Mass of Christian burial at in St. Peter Catholic Church.

Interment was at St. Michael Cemetery in Hager’s Grove, near Leonard, MO. The family asks you to consider a memorial made to the upkeep of Fred’s beloved family churchyard cemetery near his hometown: St. Michael Cemetery Fund, 4663 Hwy M, Shelbyville, MO 63469.