105 years of age, of Mitchell, Illinois passed away peacefully on June 6, 2024. Freda was born in St. Vincent, Arkansas, on November 20, 1918, to parents William and Josephine Wiedower.
She was preceded in death by her parents and seven siblings: Joe, Al, Clem, Martha, Pauline, Abby, and Tina as well as her husband, Oscar Hicks (died 1958), and their two sons James Hicks and Willard Hicks.
Freda is now survived by her son Ken (Julie) Hicks and her daughter-in-law Carleen Hicks, each residing in Mitchell, IL. She is also survived by her grandchildren and great- grandchildren Kenny (Debbie) Hicks, Jane Hicks, Jennifer (Robert) Relleke, Vawn (Shawna) Shandy-Hicks, Benjamin Hicks, Nicholas Hobin, Rhett Relleke, Jacob Hicks, Isaac Hobin, Lily
Relleke, Aiden Hicks, Samuel Hicks, and Dexter Shandy-Hicks. It must also be mentioned how fond Freda was of her many nieces and nephews.
Freda was a very social woman with a huge circle of friends. She was an excellent dancer, a strategic pinochle player, and a snazzy dresser. Freda raised three boys while working retail-selling shoes for many years at Glik’s Department Store in Granite City, IL. She attended St. Elizabeth Catholic Church in Mitchell and then Granite City, IL, for 72 years. It would be difficult to find a bigger fan of the St. Louis Cardinals baseball team than Freda. Concerned about their lack of hitting this season, she was relieved to see them beat the Houston Astros the day before she passed.
Freda’s family and friends will miss her terribly but realize that she lived a long, eventful life.
We were lucky to have her with us for as long as we did.
A visitation will be held from 5:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. on Tuesday, June 11, 2024, at Irwin Chapel, Granite City, IL.
In celebration of her life, a funeral mass will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday, June 12, 2024, at St. Elizabeth Catholic Church, Granite City, IL, with Father Alfred Tumwesigye officiating. Interment will be in Sunset Hill Memorial Estates, Glen Carbon, IL.
Condolences may be expressed to the family online at www.irwinchapel.com.
