Frederick W. Natschke

January 12, 1929 - February 14, 2016

Frederick Wilburn Natschke was born January 12, 1929 to Karl and Agnes Natschke. Sometimes he was called Fred or Rick by his contemporaries, but later on it seemed that most people called him "Poppa/Papa". He grew up in the Lincoln Park area of Chicago, attending St. James Lutheran School and Waller High School. He was in the ROTC in high school. He worked for many years as a lithographer for printing companies, assigned to do inking and color corrections to advertisements, post cards, magazine and book covers, among other things. He was a member of the Graphic Artists Union. He married the love of his life, Barbara, on May 27, 1950. Over the years they had eight children: Four daughters and four sons. They include: Pat (Joe) Lenius, Debbie Natschke, Sandra (the late Ric) Hovet, Karl Natschke, Steve (Tammy) Natschke, Connie Natschke, Fred (Mary) and Dan (Maria) Natschke. The family continued to grow as some of the children married and had their own children. He became the beloved "Poppa" to 12 grandchildren and 15 great-grandchildren. Grandchildren include Jennifer Lenius, Dorrian Davis Chmilenko, Joey (Viji) Davis, Amber Davis (Greg) Lechman, Becky (Jeff) Fuscone, Ricky (Abbey) Hovet, Robyn Hovet, Antoinette Natschke (Chance Naber), Karl Natschke VII, Kristyne Natschke, Michael (Marci Lewandowski) Natschke, Nicole and Lucas Natschke, Matthew and Thomas Natschke. Great-grandchildren include Marisa and Sara, Layla, Zarah and Jaden, Tyler, Nathan and Alayna, Jacob and Arrik, Ava, and Zoey. The Natschke family came to Messiah Lutheran Church in 1964 after buying their "dream home" on the northwest side of Chicago. Tall trees lined the street where the children grew up, meeting at the top to resemble a cathedral. All of their children were confirmed at Messiah Lutheran Church and many were also baptized there. All attended Messiah Lutheran School for some or all of their elementary school education and all attended Luther North High School. At Messiah, Fred served as a deacon for many years and helped with the monthly mailings and ad sales for the church newsletter. Fred and Barbara were active members of the Gamma Couples Club and formed close friendships that have lasted to the current day. Fred's hobbies were fishing and gardening and he enjoyed working with model trains. He was skilled at fixing things, could repair all kinds of things and had a green thumb for growing and healing plants and vegetables. Every year he took his family on a summer vacation up north to Eagle River, Wisconsin. They rented a cabin on a lake and enjoyed swimming, fishing and scenic drives. He and his wife would enjoy romantic getaways at the Forty Winks Motel in Brookfield, Wis., where they enjoyed some alone time. In their golden years they traveled more, visiting places such as Germany, Switzerland, Paris. He enjoyed taking his wife and one or more of his children and/or grandchildren out for weekly restaurant dinners at local eateries such as the Phoenix and the Elmwood. They loved chicken soup. The people at the restaurants became friends of the family because the Natschkes were there every Friday and Fred always had a smile and a story to tell. The waitresses would come by the table, snap his suspenders and say, "Trouble is here." Fred was a man of God, a man of great strength and a powerful faith. He and his wife were regular attendees at church for so long as their health permitted. He raised his children to have faith in God and his faith never wavered, even when sorely tested. He faced his cancer diagnosis bravely and fought for as much time as he could have. In an interview he did for his company's in-house magazine in 1989, he was asked to name his favorite book. He said, The Bible. When asked to name his fantasy, he said he wished he had the power to heal. He was asked for three words that best describe himself and he said: sincere, dependable, religious. Fred was a kind and generous man, devoted to his wife and family, always ready to help a person in need. He adopted his wife's extended family and friends and she adopted his. The two were inseparable. He passed away at home, with his wife and family members surrounding him, on Valentine's Day, Sunday, Feb. 14, 2016. It somehow seemed appropriate that he would leave us on a day that celebrates love. His wife, children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, extended family and friends will all miss him terribly, but we thank God for the many years we were blessed to have him in our lives and we look forward to the blessed reunion we are promised in Heaven.