Fred Burhans

Fred L. Burhans, 85, Fergus Falls , MN , formerly of Breckenridge , MN , died December 8, 2008 at the Minnesota Veterans Home in Fergus Falls .

His funeral will be held on Friday, December 12, 2008 at 10:30 a.m. at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Breckenridge with Fr. Kenneth Popp officiating.

Visitation will be Thursday, December 11, 2008 from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. with a prayer service at 7:00 p.m. at Joseph Vertin & Sons Funeral Home in Breckenridge. There will also be visitation at the funeral home one hour prior to the funeral.

Interment will be at St. Mary’s Catholic Cemetery , Breckenridge.

Pallbearers are (Fred’s grandchildren) Brian Burhans, Amber Gray, Chad Burhans, Jennifer Cote, Patrick Gray, B. J. Cote, and Daniel Burhans.

Fred Lewis Burhans was born May 14, 1923 near Campbell , MN , the son of Edward and Edith (Sorgenfrey) Burhans. He grew up and attended country school near Campbell and helped work on the farm. In August, 1945, he entered the U. S. Army and served with the Military Police during WWII. After his discharge, he worked for an aircraft company in California .

Fred was united in marriage to Winnifred Martin on January 9, 1948, in Fergus Falls , MN . They lived on the Martin farm near Breckenridge and owned and operated the Texaco station in town. In 1972 they moved to California where Fred was the owner/operator of his own trucking company. They returned to Breckenridge in 1994 and lived there until their health began to fail and they moved to Fergus Falls .

Fred enjoyed trucking, fishing, bowling and especially enjoyed playing cards with his family and friends. He was a member of St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Breckenridge.

He is survived by: His children: Stephen (Julie) Burhans, Detroit Lakes, MN, Cheryl (Jim) Gray, Covina, CA, and Vickie (Ben) Cote, Fergus Falls, MN; His seven grandchildren; His four great-grandchildren; His sisters: Annabelle (Merwin) Peterson, Breckenridge, MN; and Alice (Glen) Warfield, Lancaster, SC.

He was preceded in death by: His parents: Edward and Edith Burhans; His wife: Winnifred; His son: Johnny; His brothers: Orvis, Kirk, Rodney and Kenneth; His sisters: Myrtle Petersen, Jessie Klein, Marguerite Umland, Alta Conrad and Maxine Berg