Frederick John Vis

Frederick “Fred” Vis age 83 of Alexandria, MN, formerly of the Chandler and Leota, MN area, died Tuesday, November 18, 2008 at the VA Hospital in Fargo, ND. Services will be 10:30 AM Saturday, November 22, 2008 at the Chandler Reformed Church. Visitation will be from 5:00 until 7:30 PM Friday, November 21, 2008 at the Chandler Funeral Chapel. Interment will be at the Chandler Memorial Cemetery. The Chandler Funeral Association is handling the arrangements. Frederick “Fred” John Vis was born November 6, 1925 to Peter Sr. and Alice (Groen) Vis on a farm in Moulton Township, Murray County, MN. He was baptized and professed his faith in the Reformed Church and attended Leota Christian School. As a young man he farmed with his family. On September 19, 1945 Fred married Johanna Veldhuizen at her parent’s farm near Chandler, MN. Four days after their marriage, Fred was inducted into the U. S. Air Force at Fort Snelling, St. Paul, MN. He finished his basic training at Wichita Falls, TX and was then assigned to Lowry Field in Denver, CO as a clerk. While there he developed Rheumatic Fever and spent three and a half months in the base hospital. He then completed his active duty and received his honorable discharge in August of 1946 at Ft. Sheridan, IL. Upon his return from service Fred worked at the Rust Brother’s Farm in Reading, MN for a year, before they moved to the John Veldhuisen farm near Hadley, MN. In 1957 they moved to a farm by Kenneth, MN until 1964 when they moved to the Vis farm near Chandler, MN. In December of 1979, Fred retired from farming and moved to a home in Leota, MN. In 1984 they moved to Loveland, CO and Fred went to work for the J&L Rental, as their head mechanic and repairman. He remained there for eleven years until his retirement in 1996, when they moved to Alexandria, MN. Fred was a past member of the Chandler Reformed Church in Alexandria and a past member of the Chandler Reformed Church. In the past he served on the Chandler Christian School Board and enjoyed working on small engines and his own farm equipment. Fred is survived by his wife of sixty three years, Johanna Vis of Alexandria, MN; three daughters, Arlis (Vernon) Prins of Leota, MN, Marlene (Clarence) Hettinga of Pella, IA and Diane (Lonny) Siegel of Alexandria, MN; thirteen grandchildren; twenty five great grandchildren; two great-great grandchildren; two sisters, Henrietta Bruxvoort of Chandler, MN and Janice Veldhuizen of Fresno, CA; six brothers, John of Chandler, MN, Peter Jr. of Modesto, CA, Allen of Edgerton, MN, Alvin of Chandler, MN, Roger of Hull, IA and Richard James of Alexandria, VA; many nieces, nephews, cousins and in-laws. His parents, one sister, Jeanette Alice, one great grandson, James Pierce and one sister-in-law, Nelvina Vis preceded him in death.