Anita L. Fredericks

Anita Leopold Fredericks, beloved wife, mother, grandmother and great grandmother passed away peacefully on July 25, 2019, in Colorado Springs. She was born in Evanston, Illinois on November 2, 1923 and grew up in Burlington, Iowa surrounded by her extended family.

Anita graduated from Burlington High School in 1941 and University of Iowa in 1945. As a teenager, Anita swam across the Mississippi River.

During World War II, Anita spent her summers working at a munitions factory in Burlington. After graduating from the U of I she took a job in Fort Morgan, Colorado as an art teacher before moving to New York City where she worked designing fabric and illustrating greeting cards and soon met Charles George “Fritz” Fredericks. They were married on June 11, 1949. Charles was a career Army officer and teacher at West Point Military Academy where they lived for over 1 year before moving to various stations: Norfolk, Virginia; Heidelberg, Germany (in the 1950's); Carlisle, Pennsylvania; Fort Leavenworth, Kansas; West Point, New York; Annandale Virginia; Heidelberg, Germany (in the 1960's); Fontainebleau, France; Brunssum, the Netherlands; then Colorado Springs, Colorado in 1969…the trail of a military spouse. Anita was an expert packer and always upbeat about their many moves.

Anita enjoyed many activities including art, bridge, cross-country & downhill skiing, gardening, comedy, cooking, traveling, birding, plus volunteering at the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, the Brockhurst Boys Ranch and the Fine Arts Center. Every day was “the happiest day of her life.” Her travels included destinations in Asia, Central America, the Middle East, Africa, North & South America and Europe.

Anita was preceded in death by her dear husband, Fritz in 2011 and her sister, Dolores Collins of Burlington, Iowa. Anita is survived by four children, Dolores B. (Doug Ostergaard) Fredericks of Seattle, Washington; Barbara “Susie” Fredericks Nulty of Colorado Springs; Charles E. (Ann) Fredericks of Nashville, Tennessee and Carl L. “Fritz” (Christine) Fredericks of Oakland, California; 13 grandchildren and 4 great grandchildren and her sister, Caryl Smith of Brighton, Iowa.

Anita will be laid to rest with her husband of 62 years at the West Point cemetery. Celebrate Anita’s life by contributing to The Palmer Land Trust, 102 S. Tejon Street, Suite 360, Colorado Springs CO 80903.