Early on the morning of Thursday, June 30, 2022, our 90-year-old father, Frederick Eugene Tiedge, recently of Coventry Meadows in Fort Wayne, Indiana, passed away peacefully in his sleep and into the arms of angels.

   Fred was born on Saturday, May 28, 1932, to Frederick Louis Tiedge and Anna Maude (Hazen) Tiedge in St. Joseph County, Indiana.

   Fred attended grade school in Knox, Indiana and attended Central High School in South Bend, Indiana. He was compelled to leave his schooling in his sophomore year to work so he could help his family. He may also have acquired a GED diploma. Later, while employed at Bendix Corporation, he attended two semesters at the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana. Also, while living in California, he furthered his education by attending night classes.

   Fred was always a fun-loving and adventurous soul with many interests and hobbies throughout his life. He had a very outgoing and likeable personality. He loved boating and fishing and over the years owned many boats. Fred was a licensed pilot and loved flying airplanes. He loved exploring, taking family trips, camping, treasure hunting, visiting many State and National Parks, and zip-lining. He also loved learning, reading his Bible, and reading books on archaeology, science, mathematics, technology, and outer space. He was interested in politics, his family genealogy, building furniture, automotive work, buying and selling things, flea-marketing, playing cards and games.

   Fred's work life was diverse in his career choices, and he worked very hard to provide for his family. In his youth, he worked as a farm hand on his family’s farm until he could get his Social Security card. His first paying job was at a bowling alley and then his older brother Louis, was instrumental in Fred’s gainful employment at Bendix Corporation in South Bend, Indiana, where he worked for many years. He was an owner/operator of a lumber mill in northern California, where he also owned and worked a gold mine. He worked in the optics division at The Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, where he worked on the Lunar Space Missions, Surveyor 1-7. He was a supervisor in a munitions plant in Arkansas. He worked in a pressed-wood factory in New Mexico, where he in-part invented and patented the press machine. He was the owner/operator of a furniture manufacturing facility in Tennessee. He was the owner/operator of a wholesale/resale business in Indiana. He was an interstate team-truck driver, and he worked at a service station while rehabilitating from a back injury sustained in a semi accident. He was the owner/operator of a retail scooter business in New Mexico. He bought wholesale merchandise to sell at flea-markets in Indiana, New Mexico, Texas, and California. Fred also ran for the public office of Probate Judge in Luna County, New Mexico and served on the Luna County Counsel. In Fred’s retirement years, he continued buying and selling things and flea-marketing in the Southwestern United States and led an active life well into his upper 80’s.

   Fred was baptized in the Tippecanoe River by his maternal grandfather, George “Pogie” Hazen, a protestant minister who had traveled the evangelist circuit for revivals with the renowned Billy Sunday. Fred had believed in God since he was a young child. In his last months of health, Fred had been attending The Chapel in Fort Wayne, Indiana with his son Michael, and his family.

   Fred had special memories as a child visiting other family members and cousins that lived on a farm that is now part of the Potato Creek State Park, Indiana. In the fall of the year, Fred would visit there with his family to help with the harvesting of sap from maple trees to produce syrup.

   Fred was preceded in death by his parents, three spouses: Joann (Jeffery) Tiedge, Mary (Houck) Tiedge and, Brenda (Creekmore-Levandoski) Tiedge; his siblings: Louis Tiedge, Ruth Waltz, Marie Morse, Carl Tiedge, and Mildred "Midge" Boyes; his son-in-law, Walter Stiebritz, Jr.; his granddaughter, Lori Stiebritz; his great granddaughter, Merida Moore and, his step-grandson, Justin Prado.

   Fred is survived by his children: Cynthia Stiebritz of Jupiter, Florida, Susan (Rick) Lyon of South Bend, Indiana, Steven (Donna) Tiedge of Deltona, Florida, Mark (Elizabeth) Tiedge of Northglenn, Colorado, Matthew (Cathy) Tiedge of Saint Cloud, Florida, Michael (Jennifer) Tiedge of Fort Wayne, Indiana, and his stepdaughter, Nadine "Kerry" (Jeremiah) Smith of Charles Town, West Virginia.

   Fred is also survived by his grandchildren: Amy (Chad) Smith, Valerie Underhill, Diane Grzeskowiak, Jessica (Tim) Ullery, Joshua Grzeskowiak, Johnathon (Tiedge) Moore, Heather (Tiedge) Moore, Damon Tiedge, Christopher (Ana) Tiedge, Brooke Tiedge, Taylor Tiedge, Luke Tiedge, and Steffany Jo Tiedge; his step-grandchildren: Brian Saling, Arlene Fedler, Joseph Irvine, Joshua (Lacey) Irvine, Brittany Prado, Justin Irvine, and Jennifer Irvine; his great-grandchildren: Brianna Underhill, Cole Smith, Marissa Grove, Jade Smith, Whitney Underhill, Antonia Grove, Reide Smith, Camille Underhill, Bailee Grove, Josephine Ullery, Sophia Ullery, Jillian Grzeskowiak, Alvin Moore, Bennie Ciesialka, and Andrew Ciesialka; his step-great-grandchildren: Sebastian Keever, Mariah Silva, Lydia Morrison, Jacob Irvine, Ayden Jace Irvine, Elijah Silva, Ella Irvine, and great-great grandson Brody Houk.

   Fred is also survived by a great many nieces, nephews, and foreign exchange student granddaughters: Anne Nordentoft-Thorsen, of Copenhagen, Denmark, and Cathrin Wietzke, of Hamburg, Germany

   In Fred’s 90 years of life, he had many friends. Of special note, he shared many memorable visits, outings, and meals with his very good friends of over 25 years, Dudley and Olivia Counce, of Deming, New Mexico.

   A burial will be held at 12:00 p.m., on Friday, July 29, 2022., at Chapel Hill Memorial Gardens in The Garden of the Apostles, 10776 McKinley Hwy., Osceola, Indiana 46561. Fred’s full obituary may be found, and fond memories, photos and expressions of sympathy may be shared in the online Guest Books at www.chapelhillmemorial.com and www.halocremations.com

   To honor our Dad, and on his behalf, in lieu of flowers or gifts, Fred’s family would be very grateful for any acts of kindness or charity to those in need.

01/23/2023 JFC