Elizabeth Ann Frederick

Beth’s faith in Jesus was truly the most important thing to her, leading her to marry a pastor and serve faithfully with him for 47 years, earn her social work degree and work as a counselor, hold a plethora of volunteer positions, and raise a family of 4 children, 11 grandchildren, and 13 great-grandchildren. Her personal mission statement was based on Micah 6:8. “And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”

Elizabeth Ann Frederick, known also as Beth, Mom, Grandma, and Punkie, was born on December 18th, 1939 in Davenport, IA to Edgar and Lydia (Bargmann) Horn. She became a child of God through her baptism on January 7th, 1940. She was lovingly raised in the faith and spent her life serving Him. She attended Trinity Lutheran Grade School and Davenport High School.

Beth attended Valparaiso for two years before marrying Reverend Parke Frederick on August 1, 1959. They served congregations in Minnesota, Illinois, and Michigan as they raised the “Fab Four”: Kimberly, Suzanne, Nolan, and Michael. Beth stood by her husband’s side and supported his ministry. They loved to travel together and always made time for dates, often just talking over a cup of coffee, despite their packed schedules. She filled any necessary roles in the congregations and communities they were called to - Sunday School and substitute teacher, Bible Study leader, Board of Care Chairperson, Parent Aide, and more. Parke passed away in 2006, after retiring from 25 years of service at St. Paul Ann Arbor.

Beth was a lifelong learner, continuously pursuing further education and certifications to better serve others, first for her volunteer roles and then when she returned to school. When she was 39 and the children were all teens, she resumed working on her college degree at Concordia University of Ann Arbor, earning a 4.0 GPA and sometimes taking classes with her daughter, Kim. After a couple of years working as a Household Interviewer, she earned her Master of Social Work at The University of Michigan in December of 1987. She spent her entire counseling career at Washtenaw County Community Mental Health. Beth was one of the first therapists to be trained in and use Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT). She truly cared about each client’s success, enthusiastically and endlessly advocating for them, and remaining friends with many after her retirement at the young age of 75.

Beth believed in marriage and was blessed to marry her second husband, Newton Bates, on October 18th, 2008. Longtime friends, they supported each other through the loss of their spouses and eventually fell in love. They enjoyed cruising around in Newton’s VW Bug, spending time at the Michigan Theater, hosting friends and family for dinners and drinks, and traveling. They had over 13 wonderful years together before Newton passed in 2022.

As a mother to the Fab Four, Beth raised her children in the faith and knew how to budget down to the last penny on a pastor’s pay. She was dubbed “Casserole Queen” by her children, always found a way to support their interests, and helped them keep up with the latest fashions with her sewing skills. In her own words, she “loved sewing because it was the one chore that stayed done, unlike cooking or cleaning.” Her children describe her as a loving, caring, silly, and attentive mother who provided them with safety, security, and support. Beth was also foster mother to Jo, who showed up on her doorstep as a teen with nowhere to go and lived with the family for 9 months. They eventually reconnected and stayed in touch for the rest of Beth’s life.

As a grandmother, Beth loved to set up scavenger hunts for her grandchildren that wove both God’s words and silly jokes into the clues and she delighted in watching us work together to solve them! She introduced us to The Sound of Music, let us watch her ‘putting her face on’, gave us foot massages and pedicures, and took us for outings and sleepovers. We baked and made muddy buddies, a lot of our best conversations happening in the kitchen. We never doubted her love.

Beth enjoyed God’s creation- in her garden and on foot. She spent countless hours working on her garden on Aurora and loved sharing it with friends and family, often hosting meals and drinks on her deck after a compulsory garden tour. She loved watching God paint the sky- with sunrises during her quiet time with Him and sunsets during her time with family. She also loved to explore nature by foot. At 39, her daughters started training her to run, and she completed a marathon at age 50 with her new grandson watching from his stroller. In her last 3 years of life, she was still walking multiple times a day, wearing out 5 walkers!

In her final years at All Seasons Independent Living, Beth seemed to know everyone. She loved researching for Current Events, inviting her grandchildren to help facilitate certain subjects. She started a Bible study for people of all faiths called Explore and Discover, took an improv class, sang in the chorus, and enjoyed attending many events- especially musical offerings! She worked hard on her balcony garden. Now that she’s gone I think it’s safe to tell you that she would brag to family that hers was “the best balcony in the building”.

Beth was preceded in death by her husbands, Parke Frederick and Newton Bates. She is survived by her brother John (Margaret) Horn, her children, Kimberly (John) Lowe of Santa Fe, NM, Suzanne (Mark) Foster of Ann Arbor, MI, Nolan Frederick of Ann Arbor, MI, and Michael Frederick of Hermitage TN, her foster daughter Joanne Calabrese-Nichols of Marietta, SC, her stepchildren Nancy Bates and John (Susan) Bates, her grandchildren Kathryn (Andy) Collins, Hilary (Michael) Gustafson, Joshua Foster, Sarah Foster, Breana (Chris) Tharp, Ashlyn (KJ) Talamor, Shayla (Brett) Reeder, Jennae Frederick, Kiara Frederick, Ava Frederick, and Jaren Frederick. She has 13 and counting great-grandchildren.

The Frederick family will receive friends and family on Sunday, October 25 from 3:00 pm until 7:00 pm at Muehlig's Chapel, 403 S. Fourth Ave., Ann Arbor. The funeral will take place on Monday, October 26, at St. Paul Lutheran Church, 420 W. Liberty St., Ann Arbor, MI. Viewing will begin at 10:00 am followed by the funeral service at 11:00 am. St. Paul Lutheran Church, 420 W. Liberty Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48103. A luncheon will follow from 12:00 to 2:30 pm. Parking is limited at the church. Carpooling is encouraged. An accessible entrance is located off Third Street.

In lieu of flowers, those wishing to honor Beth’s memory may consider making a donation to St. Paul Lutheran Church (stpaulannarbor.org), or Hope Clinic (thehopeclinic.org), located at 518 Harriet Street, Ypsilanti, MI 48197

And one last mystery remains: P.S. If you are Elvis, or know who the Elvis sending Beth letters was… it’s time to reveal yourself!

Beth leaves behind a legacy of faith, service, laughter, and love. She will be deeply missed by all who knew her, but her family takes comfort in the promise she held dear throughout her life: Jesus loves you.