Ronald J. "Ron" Fedie's Obituary
Ronald J. “Ron” Fedie, age 88, of Nisula, MI passed away peacefully at his home on Tuesday, January 31, 2023. Ron was born in Durand, Wisconsin on March 9, 1934, the son of the late Paul and Alice (Urness) Fedie. He attended St. Mary’s Elementary School in Durand. He graduated in 1953 from Holy Family Catholic High School in Lima, WI. The summer before graduation Ron met his wife to be at the Green Giant Canning Co. in Montgomery, MN. where they both worked. He entered the U.S. Army in 1953 and served as an M.P. in Korea until 1955. Upon returning home he married the former Beverly Bartyzal at St. Wenceslaus Catholic Church in New Prague, MN.
Ron worked in New Prague as a theater manager and plumber. After a few years he moved his family to Durand, WI where he worked as a plumber and then started installing phones with his dad and brother Paul. He moved his family again when he was hired by an Independent Telephone Co. in Brandon, WI. He went on to attend Stromberg Carlson Telephonics School in Rochester New York and received a degree in telecommunication’s on new phone switching procedures. After a number of years in Brandon, he was hired by an installing crew which took him to the U.P. of Michigan in 1968. In 1970, he moved his family to Nisula after accepting a job with an upstart company called Baraga Telephone Company. Ron was one of their original employees retiring in 1993 after 23 years of service with them.
He was a member of St. Ann’s Catholic Church, Baraga where he taught High School religion classes in his earlier years and was a Life Member of the Kinnunen-Sutinen VFW Post #7646, recently receiving a 50 year Patch. He also served 2 terms as a Laird Township trustee on the Township board.
He loved to plow snow, and mow grass. We often said, “no flake of snow or blade of grass is safe.” His hobbies included golfing, traveling, watching the Packers and Brewers and enjoying time with his many grandkids. He enjoyed volunteering at the VFW during pasty sales and gabbing with the other volunteers. In his younger years he was a Scout leader in Brandon, WI and was very proud of one of the boys who made Eagle Scout under his guidance. Some of his grandkids will say he liked teasing them and it didn’t take long for them to reverse the role, big time! He loved them all so much!
Ron is survived by his wife of 67 years, Beverly of Nisula, sons Roger (Lynn) of Cave Creek, AZ, Robert (Christine) of Hartland, MI, Duane (Roberta) of Alston, James (Kim) of Nisula, 12 grandchildren, 7 great grandchildren, 12 step-grandchildren, 10 step-great grandchildren, siblings Carol (Paul) Bauer, Paul (Carol Jean) Fedie, Betty Myers, Mary Jane (Wayne) Kralewski,, many nieces and nephews, 2 special people, Michel and Joe Roose of Crystal Falls, and special friend Jim Sullivan of Nisula. He was preceded in death by his parents, son Joseph, brothers James R., Dale, and Charles Fedie, sisters Lois Fedie, Rita Brunner, and Janette Hoover.
A visitation will be held on Saturday, April 22, 2023 at the Reid Funeral Service and Chapel, L'Anse from 10:00 a.m. until 11:30 a.m. Military honors, under the direction of the Baraga American Legion Post #444 will be conducted at 11:30 a.m. Father Corey Litzner will officiate funeral services at 12:00 p.m. Immediately following the funeral service, the family invites friends to join them for fellowship and a luncheon in the Harrington Gathering Room, located at the funeral home.
Interment took place in the Alston Cemetery, Alston, MI.
The Reid Funeral Service and Chapel, L’Anse has been entrusted with the funeral arrangements
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