Rev. Fred Fieker, 26-year Du Quoin pastor, remembered

During his 26-year pastorate at St. John's United Church of Christ, Rev. Fred Fieker was the very best of Du Quoin.

Period.

His understanding of the human condition and the way he treated everyone as equals was almost biblical.

He retired in November 1992 and decided to move back to his native Missouri, having been named Du Quoin's Outstanding Citizen of the Year three years earlier .

He made his home in Stotts City, Mo.

Rev. Frederick Edward Fieker died last Friday at the age of 86 at Ozarks Methodist Manor in Marionville, Mo. A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 28, at his Zion United Church of Christ.

"He was the best pastor they ever had," remembers longtime friend Gene Gallmeister, who worked alongside Rev. Fieker to create the church's centennial book. "He catered to everyone. The church's biggest contributors were no better than the man who threw his quarters into the plate," said Gallmeister.

Rev. Fieker was an outdoorsman and a skilled woodworking craftsman. He made the most beautiful and meticulously accurate wooden clocks. "His craftsmanship was the best," said Gallmeister.

Parishioner Edd Mazure agreed. He and Rev. Fieker envisioned a handcrafted eight-foot cross for the front of the church, then built that cross in Mazure's shop.

Over the years, their wood-turning lathes created some of the most beautiful sanctuary ornamentation in Southern Illinois.

"He was great," said Mazure. "He would pick onions out of garden and take them to people just to have an excuse to talk to them," Mazure remembers.

They were fishing buddies and he remembers Rev. Fieker saying a few words of thanksgiving on the bank after getting back to shore during an eventful fishing outing.

Daughter Sarah Dickey, human resources director at Marshall Browning Hospital remembers growing up Fieker.

"Dad had a wonderful dry wit," she remembers. He was so down-to-earth in his work for the church and in his service as a longtime member of the Marshall Browning Hospital board of directors.

You sort of had to "think Fieker" to know the depth of his understanding. He was a people person and people loved him.

Things change and late in life he struggled with his eyesight, on which most of his hobbies were dependent.

After 26 years he said "it's time" and he decided to retire to his native Missouri.

Born, Nov. 6, 1927, he was baptized at Zion Evangelical and Reformed Church and confirmed in 1941. He graduated from Mount Vernon. Mo. High School in 1945, Drury College in 1949 ad completed his education at Eden Seminary in St. Louis in 1952. He was then ordained into the ministry that same year.

He served in United Church of Christ Churches in Illinois and Iowa. He was significant in developing new church programs, building church memberships, counseling and being an overall leader within the church conference. While serving for a time in Walnut, Iowa, he was instrumental in creating a vision building and operating Peace Haven Home, a home for seniors to live independently. He was active in the Boys Scouts and the ministerial alliance.

He did oil paintings and stained glass and clock-making.

He and his surviving wife Carolyn had been married for nearly 60 years. To this marriage were born three great children, Dan and wife, Twila; Sarah Dickey and husband Dennis; and Jon and wife Melissa.

Private graveside services are planned.