Fred Peister

Fred Peister, 102, of Kearney died Monday, September 10, 2012 at Mt. Carmel Home Keens Memorial. Funeral services will be held at 10:30 AM, Thursday, September 13 at First United Methodist with Rev. Gary Main officiating. Interment will be in the Kearney Cemetery. Visitation will be one hour before the service at the church. Memorials are suggested to the church. Online condolences or personal reflections may be submitted at osrfh.com. O'Brien Straatmann Redinger Funeral Home of Kearney is in charge of arrangements. Fred was born February 9, 1910 in Merkel, Russia to Jacob and Katherine (Pister) Peister. His father was an army guard on the Russian border. They escaped Russia by his father taking the family across the border and then burning his uniform. When Fred was older, he was afraid every time a stranger came into the yard that they were there to take his dad away. On October 3, 1912, his parents and their children and paternal grandfather boarded the S.S. Rhen from Brenne, Russia, arriving at the port of Philadelphia on October 5, 1912. The family moved to Fort Collins, CO, where Fred worked on his uncle's farm. He also lived in Belle Fourche, SD, Gering, Lexington and Lincoln before moving to Kearney. While living in Lexington, he met Ila Luckinbill, whom he married on November 18, 1934. To this union two children were born, Jacquie and Craig. Fred took a mechanic's course and from there he started working on cars and doing body and fender work. In Lincoln, he worked at DuTeau Chevrolet. He was a foreman at the Ammunition Depot in Hastings. After moving to Kearney, he and Bob Degenhardt opened the Auto Hospital. Fred operated the business and also farmed south of Kearney. He retired from the body shop in 1975. He was a member of the First United Methodist Church, Kearney Lions Club and the Eagles Club. He is survived by his son, Craig and wife, Betty Jo of Kearney; daughter, Jacquie Harsin and husband, Dale of Alma; grandchildren, Cameron Peister and wife, Lana of Kearney, Kaysi Peister of Omaha, Darren Harsin and wife, Sue of Blair, Brent Harsin and wife Regan of Syracuse, and Stephanie Pilus and husband, Joe of Omaha; 10 great-grandchildren; brother, George of Minden; sisters, Elizabeth Peister, of Denver, CO and Lydia Hubach of Fremont, CA. He was preceded in death by his wife, Ila; 2 brothers; and 3 sisters.

Fred Peister

February 9, 1910 - September 10, 2012