Freda, Mae Wilson was born January 18, 1929, at the home of her great Aunt Betty and Jess King to Sam and Ada Simons. She grew up in Marcus, SD, where she and her six siblings attended Barada School, often riding horseback or in a wagon through the snow. The happy Simon’s home was filled with laughter, and certainly some disagreements with seven siblings joining the family (“like dominos” she always said).

Freda came to Sturgis to attend high school and lived with her beloved grandmother Clara Burditt Ensor. Her older brother Vern joined her, and several other country boys followed as well as Walter (her protector) and Clara Beth. Grandma Ensor went from living alone and cooking for one to a home filled with hungry teenagers so Freda took over some of the grocery shopping and most of the cooking. She was always disappointed that she could not be more involved with school activities and later made sure that her two daughters could and did join as many clubs as they wanted.

After high school graduation, on June 1, 1947, she married a handsome WWII veteran who had returned to land in Plainview he had his father buy with money he regularly sent home. Emerson and Freda worked this land with Freda, a true partner in the home and the field. She was active in Plainview Ladies’ Aid and helped with Plainview Vacation Bible School.

In 1967 she moved to Sturgis so her daughters could attend high school. She got a job working for the Meade County school system in the cafeteria where she worked until retirement in 1988 after 24 years. She was known as the “lunch lady” and was often greeted by the hundreds of students at check out stands, on the street at community affairs. The cousins said seeing “Aunt Freda’s” face every day in the lunch line gave them some status with the other students.

Freda was an avid dancer, water-skier, golfer, bowler and snow skier, and belonged to several bridge clubs and would often fill the week with her sisters and other friends. In1967 Freda and Em built a home in Boulder Canyon. Freda retired so could increase her involvement with golf.

Freda and Emerson moved to Vanocker Canyon in 1996 where she continued her daily walks and became known as the “Vanocker Walker”. She passed at the Sturgis Hospital on June 11, 2026, at the age of 97 after 21 years of living by herself before going into Dolan Senior Living in August 2026.

Survivors include her daughters, Linda Grenz, Sturgis and Jennifer Silbaugh and son-in-law Mike, New Braunfels, TX; four grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren, brother-in-law Guy Edwards and numerous beloved nieces and nephews. Her parents, brothers Vern, Walt and Wayne; sisters Clara Beth Peterson, Gladys Edwards and Kay Ingalls, infant brother and son-in-law Willard Grenz preceded her in death.

A memorial has been established for the First Presbyterian Church of Sturgis. The family extends an invitation to join them in fellowship and refreshments in the church basement before inurnment at the Black Hills National Cemetery at 3:00.