It's with the greatest sorrow that we say our goodbyes to Fred; he's been a part of our lives for so many years.  We've always counted it a great privilege to call Fred our friend. 
There is such joy in the memories we've shared over the years and we'll cherish those mental videos for years to come, from the Pima Pow-Wow to the fresh Salmon grilled in your back yard.
Jerri, you and the kids are and will continue to be in our thoughts and prayers. We love you always.
Jerry & Karen

My heart goes out to all of you at Fred's sudden passing.  One memory I can recall with all of us as families is going over to your place and all of us kids watching the Wizard of Oz.  That, and that Fred was and always will be my godfather.  We will miss him very much.  Please know how much I care and that my thoughts and prayers are with all of you.  
Love, 
Jennifer Jensen Peppmiller

I did not know Fred but I know Brian and by seeing the kind of person he is,I'm sure Fred was a good man.  My thoughts are with Brian and the rest of his family through the loss of a loved one.  

I had known Fred for about 12 years.  Fred was a business associate, but was also much more than that.  He was a true friend to myself and my family. He was a mentor with respect to business and personal issues, and one of the most ethical men that I have had the opportunity to work with.  Frec will be missed by all of the staff at EB Horsman who had the pleasure to meet and work with him.

I am truly saddened by Fred's departure. His ethics, honesty, and kindness were a guidepost for many of us in this business. May we all trust in the words of Alani's poem.
Darvin

It was a great pleasure meeting Fred last October.  I will miss not being able to visit with him on my future trips out to the Northwest.  My prayers go out to his family.  
God Bless.

Wendy remembers Fred always coming to baseball games in his red sweatshirt and blue jeans, brandishing a smile.

Bill remembers planning a boat trip down the mighty Columbia river from Canada to the Pacific Oceanwith Fred.

Our thoughts and prayers are with you and your family. If there is anything you need or we can be of assistance in some way, please do not hesitate to call us.

Love, Bill, Wendy and family

Jerri and Family,

I was deeply saddened by new news of Fred's passing.  Although we only saw Fred and Jerri for a few days at a time during the TURCK sales meetings, I can always recall sharing a few laughs at the dinners and taking a few memories from each gathering.

The people from TURCK missed both of you this year in St. Petersburg and will in future gatherings.

Best regards to your family.

Grant Bistram

My thoughts and prayers are with you.  Fred was not only a gentleman but one of the kindest people I've met in the course of doing business.

To Jerri and Fred's Family;
I am deeply saddened by Fred's death and will miss greatly miss him. Fred was a friend first and a business associate second. He always took the time when I'm sure he didn't have the time to listen to my problems and give advice. Fred's favorite subject was his family. I will remember Fred as he always was, with a genuine smile on his face. 

Jerri, Kari, Matt, Brian and Lisa.

There are no words that can express the deep sadness with the passing of our â€œFearless Leaderâ€.

Fred was an incredible human being that I am honored to have been associated with and will never forget. He taught me many things in both business and life that will be with me forever. He was my friend, my mentor and a great father figure for me. 

Fred was as honorable as they come whether it was family, friendship or business. When ever you talked to him or was with him you always got the real Fred because he did not know how to be anything else.

Fredâ€™s undeniable devotion to his family, his purest of friendship and his true honesty and integrity in business was truly a breath of fresh air in this fast paced life we all seem to be living nowadays.

Whenever you are feeling sad or down and out always remember â€œFredâ€™s Fun Factorâ€. He was famous for saying in our meetings â€œ If we are not having fun doing this we should be doing something elseâ€. Nothing made him happier then seeing people having fun. A lesson we should carry forward and pass on to all.  

We will always have the fondest memories and will truly miss his companionship and friendship.

Our hearts go out to you at this most difficult time. We are here for you no matter what you need.

Love Oscar, Julie and Sarah


Jerri and Family:

My prayers and thoughts go out out to you and your family. Fred's decency, humor and kindness were apparent to anyone who met him, and I am saddened beyond words about his passing. 

Alan Rogers

Dear Jerri and Family,
I can't begin to express how sorry I am for the passing of such an incredible man.  People like Fred don't come along that often, infact I can count them with only a few fingers.  I am better for having known Fred and will do my best to practice what he taught without words, instead actions.  
My conversations may be longer, my decisions may take more time, but how can I go wrong doing it like Fred?
There are so many things to say about a man like Fred, but the bottom line is that I will miss you greatly!
Erik & Lisa Steers

To The Watkins Family

I am sure that you have all heard these words before about Fred , but I have to say them again .
I will miss his big smile , his gentle way and that he was a true "Gentleman" . He will be greatly missed ,
but when we think of Fred we all will have fond memories that will last us a life time .  


My condolences.  May your precious memories help all of you through this difficult time.
While I only met Fred on a few occasions, I found him a wonderful family man.  He was highly respected at E.B. Horsman.  We will all miss him.

We hope that the many memories of special times shared with your loved one will bring you peace.  Our thoughts and prayers are with you.

Jerri,

My heartfelt sympathy goes to you and your family.  We were very shocked to hear of Fred's passing.  Fred was a wonderful person who was liked by everyone who knew him. I signed Fred on as the representative for Banner many years ago. Please take care of yourself during this rough time. 

We are all saddened by Fred's passing and feel a great loss. We can only our support and respect for Fred.

Jerri,

I was so saddend to hear about Fred. You know that you and he are two of my most favorite people. If there is anything I can do, please do not hesitate to ask.

Don

Fred was one of the truely good people I had the pleasure of meeting in my life. He will be missed by many. Our thoughts are with his family. 
Love,
Sue and Murray Death

Jerri, Kari, Matt, Lisa and Brian...

My heart is with you all...

I want you to know that I saw Fred as my brother, throughout our eighteen years of partnership. He helped me grow as an individual as well as in my career.

Jerri, you remember the early years of business with no money, but loads of fun and excitement? When factory meetings meant you stayed up late working out the least expensive routes to get Fred and I to our destination, so we could afford to go? When our company gatherings meant I stayed on the couch at your house? With Kari, Matt and Lisa waking me with their curious stares, with Brian too young to climb to such lofty heights! 

You would remember the many fun trips to come later, when we all thought we had hit the bigtime? We were so impressed with that hotel with the phone in the bathroom! Fred would just keep smiling... he knew the hard work it took to get there.

You and Fred were my extended family. I will never forget our close ties and our fun times.

In business, our goals always included Fredâ€™s addition of the â€œthe fun factorâ€. â€œIf we arenâ€™t having fun, we should be in some other businessâ€, Fred would say. It is a good lesson for us all... 

Fred had many good lessonsâ€¦ all of them simple and honest, genuine and practical, personable and always well intended...

Know that his peers in the business world revere him as a man of great honor and accomplishment. He had the guts to strike out on his own, and the fortitude to make it successful.

Mostly, he was loved by all he touched... he will be missed.

With my love, and warm thoughts, to you all... Jerri, Kari, Matt, Lisa and Brian... 
- George


I was shocked and saddened to hear of Fred's passing. He has represented our Company honorably and successfully for many years.  All of us at Banner are saddened by this unexpected event.  Our thoughts and prayers are with all of Freds family as well as those who worked for and with Fred.  He was a good man and we will miss him.

My deepest sympathy to you and your family. Fred was a great kind man and always a genltleman. We always refered to him as Friendly Fred. He will be greatly missed by all. 
Sincerely
Evelyn Marshall

Your family is in our thoughts and prayers during this most difficult time.  We are thankful that Fred now is beyond pain and worry.  We hope you are able to find comfort in this as you heal and move toward the time when you are together again.

I have known Fred for 16 or 17 years and in all that time, he was always one of the most honest people I dealt with and I considered him a friend as well.  I still cannot believe that he is gone, with no chance for me to say good-bye.  But I am also thankful that he did not have to suffer too long.

He was a good man.

Jerri:

My friendship with you and Fred has always reminded me that life is good. I am grateful. Thank you.

I miss Fred and I miss you. Terribly. When time is endless, know that healing thoughts, prayers and love are being sent to you from Minnesota. Daily. 

Please know that I am always here.

Love,

Sondra

I was very shocked and saddened by Fred's passing.  Along with John Fleming, our former president and good friend of Fred's, he had a great influence on me as to how to handle the personalities and pressures of the electrical business and relationships in general.  Fred and I always talked about finding that next sunny day that we could get away for a round of golf.  We never made the time and I am now regretting that terribly.  There was never a hidden agenda with Fred, I always knew I had his full attention when we talked and he, more that most anyone outside our company I have dealt with, tried to help us be as successful as possible.  I considered him a friend and will miss him much more than I realized I would.  My sincere condolences to the family -- please add me to the list of people he had a positive impact upon in his time here.

May God's comfort and peace guide you through this time. Fred's integrity and honesty will always be a goal for the rest of us to use as a beacon.

My thoughts and prayers go out to Fred's family. He was a very kind man. I had the priviledge of meeting Fred for business purposes and thought highly of him. He will truly be missed. God Bless.

Dear Jerri;

When I started at Banner in 1983, Fred was one of the first representatives I met, and as it turned out, one of the finest.  My deepest sympathy at your loss.

Dear Jerri,
I cannot express my sadness, but God must have needed someone very special up there. Jerri, I want to extend my most sincere sympathy to you and your family, Fred will be missed so much.
Thinking of you at this time of sadness, and all the time, with love from
Ursula

Jerri & family,

My thoughts and prayers are 
with all of you at this time.
He will be missed by all of
us here at Turck.

With deepest sympathy

Kathy

A bright candle has gone out in the Electrical Business. Fred was always a true gentlemen. He set an example and proved that you can be successful in business while maintaining high standards of integrity and ethics.

Though our time knowing Fred was short, I feel better for knowing him.  Our heartfelt sympathies and prayers go out to the family.  

Love,

Paul and Janice Sullivan

I would like to express my heart felt sympathies.  Fred was one of the finest human beings I have ever been lucky enough to know.  His wisdom counseled many and his kindness was unsurpassed.  We will all miss Fred greatly.

With love

Ed and Ann Marie Westfield

My sincere condolences to Fred's Family. He was a great man, who will be sadly missed.

I am so very sorry for the loss of the new friend I recently found in Fred.
My heart felt condolences
Tom Adams and family

Dear Mrs. Watkins and family:
I cannot begin to tell you how sorry I am for your Loss.  Mr. Watkins was an extremely kind, generous and loving man.  I was honored to have him as my customer and friend and was always impressed with the loving way he talked about his family.  I know there is nothing that can be said to make this time easier for you, but know in your hearts that you were his LIFE, and that he is looking down from HEAVEN with that wonderful smile and watching over you.  Please let me know if there is anything I can do for you either personally or through the Bank.  Lillian Larsen, WFS

Jerri, Kari, Matt, Brian & Lisa,

You are in our thoughts & prayers. Words can not covey or express the feelings we have for Fred & the Watkins family. 

Fred was a great man that had a positive impact on so many lives. He was a friend, mentor & father to me in so many ways. Fond memories of Fred will last forever.

Fred's most cherished value was his sense of family. His strong comittment to Jerri & his children was an example to us all within the company. 

Fred was extremely proud of his children for the adults & people you have become. You have made your father proud!

With our love,

Joe & Karen Coates

Jerri & family.  Nothing any-
one can say will ease your
pain, but keep your good
memories close to help confort
you.  You will be in my prayers.

Love Marcia

I take comfort in the fact that Fred is with the Lord now. My deepest condolences on our loss of a wonderful human being. May God bless all of us in a difficult time.

By His Grace, Andy Dunn 

Dear Jerri & Family,
  So sorry for your great loss
to you and your family.
  If there is anything that I
can do for you and your family
please let me know.
  One of your many Bowling Buddies.
  Alice

Dear Jerry, Lisa, and Family:
We are praying for you all everyday. You know you can call us for anything you need. My deepest simpathy is with all of you. 
Love Krissy and Landon

Dear Watkins Family,

I am so sorry for the loss.  I can't even imagine but I know that GOD is with him and that makes me smile. He is in the best place he could be!  I wasn't very close to Fred at first but before I moved to Texas we had two long talks that changed my view on a lot of things.  I want to thank him for that and just know that I have all of you in my prayers.  Love always, Kristina

Dear Jerri and family,  we are so sad to hear of your loss.  If there is anything we can do please let us know.  You will be in our prayers.

Wayne and Susie

Gerri and Family -
We are so sorry to hear of Fred's passing. Please know you are all in our
thoughts and prayers. Be good to yourselves and take care of each other - you have a huge
family and friends who support and care for you greatly. 
If there is anything we can do to help you, please let us know. 
Tammi & Rob

My prayers are with all of you during this difficult time.

My heart is broken for the loss of a special person and his family who will miss him so.  I have some wonderful memories of Fred and I would like to share just a few.

I will always remember: his icky peanut butter/may/lettuce sandwiches, him squeezing the fat out of his hamburger patties; his endless teasing and trying to think of a good comeback; helping him plant a garden; Jerri and I covering up furniture with sheets as Fred and Robert cut an opening between the family room and living room with a chainsaw; and hearing him call me Patsy.

I will always cherish the long talks with Fred as we share our goals and feelings. I will never forget the warmth he gave my mom and dad on their visits from Oklahoma.  He could make us all feel that what we had to say was the most important thing in the world.  I always told him that it was the salesman in him.

Fred, Thanks for leaving me your smile the last time we met, I will always remember.

Pat Patsy

Fred,

My good old buddy, why didn't we sit down and talk this over before you acted so quickly on this?  We always did that, you know.  I can only guess that God had such a clear concise plan laid out for you that no hesitation was needed.  I am comforted by the fact that you will be up there, guiding the rest of us to the Great Beyond when our time comes.

I remember when we were kids playing Little League Baseball, you played right field, and although you didn't become an "ICHIRO" at baseball, you sure became an "ICHIRO" as a man, in every respect.  You were always clear thinking, never quick to make a move, and when you made a decision, you didn't waiver on it.  Although most people don't know it, you were the same way as a kid.  You were an "ICHIRO" as a family man and loyal husband, raising four great kids, you started and developed a very successful business, and to me you were a lifelong friend. You were always there when I needed a friend and I tried to do the same for you.  That is what friends are for, isn't it Fred?  In all those years we definitely had to lean on each other a number of times, from grade school to the threshold of retirement, life can deal a bad hand now and then, and Fred, you sure had a way of sorting things out and solving problems.  I thank you for that.

I feel an empty void within myself, since you have passed on, but an even more powerful feeling I now have, is a feeling of great confdence, which must come from the thought that you are up there watching out for all of us.

May our memories live on forever.  Say "Hi" to Jack.

Your Friend,

Huck
John Peppmiller

I want to give all of my love, and all of my heart to my Aunt Jerri, and my cousins through this very rough time.I would like all of you to know that I am always here for you no matter what! I will miss my Uncle Fred dearly, it is unfortunate that our busy lives have drawn us apart the last few years. Though I will always hold in my heart the security I felt while in the presence of you Fred!You will always, and forever be a great man, and stay within my heart. Love Tina

There is just so much to say and to feel.  All the good times, as I can not remember any bad times.  Fred with his red swim trunk and stark white T shirt with that incredible smile on his face and twinkle in his eye always ready for an adventure. My husband and I were companions of Fred and Jerri on many occasions as my husband John, was a lifelong friend of 50 years.  If there were any one you could trust it would be Fred. We will miss him more than anyone will ever know. It was a pleasure knowing you Fred and I will always draw from the example you set.  

To the Family of Fred:  Please know that John and I will always be there for each and every one of you, now and forever.  Just call us ANYTIME day or night.  We love you all.  With all my heart,  Just Jann

I'm so sorry and am thinking and praying for you all. 
I will never forget how much I loved going over to the Watkins home because you couldn't just honk to have Lisa come out when you came to pick her upbecause Fred didn't like honking!, so that meant you had to come in to get her and I loved coming in for those little or long chats with Fred because he was always there, so eager to talk and see how you were and what you were up to! You could always tell he really cared. I feel honored to have known him.

Fred was a kind father, a loving husband and sincere and helpful to all.  
   God Bless.
      The Van De Grifts

We wanted to share with you the poem that Alani, Fred's niece, wrote the day that he died.  She is 10 years old.


Angels

Angels help us all
Just before we fall
And when they call
You know it's time to go

When they go
There's a part
In your heart
That will stay forever

My uncle Fred had to go
But in my heart
That little part
Will always love him so

I so very sorry for your loss and I am thinking of you a lot during this time. Sue

I wanted to share with you the prayer request I wrote in the hospital chapel the day that my father died.  My brother, Brian, and I went there to pray for him.  It was written at about 3 p.m. and he passed away a little before 6 p.m. 


May 24th, 2001

Please pray for my father, Frederick Lynn Watkins, that he may leave this world quickly and painlessly.  I pray for God to help our family get through this and begin to heal.  He will be with us in spirit and in our hearts forever.  Thank you Lord for everything you have so graciously given us, especially the pleasure of loving and being loved by the most incredible and honorable father in the world.  We were all blessed to have known him.  Please make him a special place up in heaven, with his father and mother.  And please watch over all of our family but take special care of my mother.  Bless us with many wonderful years to come.  We will all be together again someday, if not here then somewhere up above.  I love you always and forever Poppy!  Love, your daughter, Lisa Marie Watkins 

There are no words that can express the saddness I felt when I received the first phone call that Fred was ill.  It brought back difficult and painful memories.  I thought every minute about what the family was going through as our family experienced the same sad ordeal.  

Shortly after my father died, Fred came to visit and took me to lunch.  I remember my heart raising and anticipating all the questions and potential threats I was going to get from Fred - Fred and my dad knew each other well, I however did not get to know him well until the last three years.  Instead Fred asked very easy simple questions, offered his support to me personally and to Cascade Controls and we spent the next hour getting to know each others family, sharing Fred's favorite Spanish words, etc.  As the three short years flew by, Fred always gave me head's up and shared concerns and offered honest simple advise.  

He also shared hilarious stories he and my father experienced - a whole new side of both of them!  They where always up to some practical joke or teasing some client, waitress, or anyone who would listen - I am sure dad embarrased you a few times...  When you see each other; a toast to both of you, to the families you raised, to the values you instilled, and to friendship.

May your beautiful memories get you through time.  Time does heal although the heart never forgets...

With all our love, thoughts and prayers, Michelle Cereghino and all of your friends at Cascade Controls. 

Our sincerest sympathies in your family's loss.  He will be remembered with fond memories in our hearts.

My sincerest condolences over your loss. I was just getting to know Fred and thought he was a great guy. I will miss working with him.
 

Our thoughts, prays and love are with you all!  It takes that one human being to make you a better person and that is a great thing you can take with you.  We love you all!
Jessie and Matt

OBITUARY

Frederick L. Watkins

December 31, 1969 – December 31, 1969

Evergreen Washelli Funeral Home & Cemetery

Show your support

Add a Memory

Share Obituary

Get Reminders

Services