Fred L. Wendt

A Prayer of Thanksgiving Abba, Father, we thank you for the blessing of a wonderful father and husband. What a gift to us from you to allow us to grow up with a man who exemplified Your idea of a father. Dad first and foremost showed in every way how a steady, devoted, loving husband should treat his wife and he did it for 51 years! He modeled a tremendous sense of civic duty, patriotism, and community involvement with his many organizations, boards and such that he served on over the years. Each of us has in our own ways taken on these attributes to serve and be active in our communities. You modeled well Dad. Dad also modeled to perfection a work ethic that made him stand out in business and he taught it to us as well. His joy in how Kendall took over the family business with such ease was his constant delight. Lord, what is life without a good sense of humor! You gave it to our father in abundance and it delighted us all of our lives through his jokes, just being silly, and through his love of games. Hand and Foot will never be the same without him. Play it with him up there would you? Dad loved to play duests on the piano with us and our kids. Accompanied by giggles, Dad and partner would play renditions of Chop Sticks, Heart and Soul, his famous version of From a Wigwam, and Match and a Gas Tank. We did have fun! Lord you also gave us a commandment to honor thy father and thy mother. My father mastered this commandment! For as far back as we can remember Dad showed us by example how to walk this one out with his in-laws, his parents, and even his friends parents. Family was the most important thing to our dad. If you were even remotely a Wendt, Dad knew you and made you feel like you were part of the family. Thank you Lord for all the wonderful family reunions that we have had over the years. Thank you Lord that our Dad showed us what if meant to be a lifelong friend. In this day and age, it is hard to stay in contact with friends, yet Dad was amazing at this. This too is a treasured gift! For when we all go to heaven all we take with us is our relationships. In the past couple of days as so many of Dad’s friends have called and come by, we hear the same thing over and over ‘ I’ve known your father since we were just kids’. Friendships were a big part of Dad’s treasure chest! We remember with awe how we could be clear across the country on vacation walking down the street and hear a ‘Fred, Fred Wendt is that you?’ and Dad would look over and be able to say who it was and how he knew this person 62 years ago in grade school! Lord, why didnt that particular memory gift pass on to us? Lord, Uncle Oran remembers when his older brother Fred walked through a difficult time when they were young and he believes this event shaped Dad’s life. When Dad had to have his brain surgery in high school, the doctors didn’t have much hope he would come out of surgery without side effects, let alone survive it. But, Dad did survive and without any detriment to himself. Oh Lord, thank you for Dad who knew he had a second chance at life and that he grabbed it with both hands! He lived life to the fullest knowing that the glass was half full and something good was just around the corner. Lord you are the great communicator no doubt. But, with Fred Wendt, you blessed us with one of the best! Of course, he was a Wendt and all Wendts do love to talk! Thank you Lord for our dad who was able to listen to us share our lives, to encourage us in times of doubt, and to comfort us in our times of need and sorrow. His wise counsel we will miss greatly. Our moms favorite thing about her 54 years knowing my Dad through dating and marriage was that he was the best person in the world to talk with about anything and that is what she will miss the most. He was her touchstone and they did everything together. Please, Lord, be with our mother now and fill this void as only You can. Oh, if we could talk with our Dad one last time. Thank you Lord that this legacy of love, honor, and integrity was first given as a gift to Dad and that he was able to pass it on to his children and grandchildren. Dad didnt always understand our relationships with you Lord, but he respected us for this and over the last couple of years we all felt Dads heart soften and we spoke often about you Lord. Dad came to a realization that you really were out there and only you and Dad know the full extent of that. Thank you that you were so gentle to Dad in his final moments! For Dad, no other place on earth was as peaceful and beautiful as a golf course, and who better to be with than his friends and his son. It was an amazing November day and hopefully it was an amazing round of golf! Tell Dad we love him always and we look forward to the day when we will all be together again! With loving gratitude, Fred’s wife, children, grandchildren, brothers, sisters, and every conceivable relative and friend

Dear Beverly and family–Ken and I express our most heartfelt sympathy for the loss of your dear Fred. May God be with you. Love, Marilyn Baker Johnston

Dear Beverly and family, I was so sorry to hear of Fred’s death. What a shock to all who loved him. He was a great guy. I’m thankful I got to see him briefly at Mom’s funeral. You are in my thoughts and prayers.

I saw Fred in September, for the first time in several years, and he was just the same as I remembered: outgoing, personable, funny and witty. I know he was a man who cared deeply about his family and made time to be with his grand children. I am so sorry to hear about his passing and want to extend my sympathies to the entire family. May you be blessed by the memories that will live on.

Dear Family and Friends, I knew Fred from Tallgrass CC and always appreciated his warm smile and friendly manner. He was truly one of the most engaging and cordial men in our club. We will miss him very much. May the Lord Jesus Christ bring you comfort and strength during this very difficult time. I am praying for you all. David May

I first met Fred over 30 years ago when he and I both were much younger, and although I ran into him infrequently over the years, he was always one of those people you enjoyed seeing. He always had the the same warm, friendly smile and greeting as when I first met him; it was as if you had never lost touch. He was a very impressive individual that I will not forget. My sincere condolences to the family for their loss.

Beverly: We want to wish you and your family our deepest sympathy on the passing of Fred. I had the opportunity to work closely with Fred on the Tallgrass Board and with the WEA. I appreciated his knowledge and guidance, made more impressive when he supported it with humor. Thank you for sharing him with us. Our prayers and thoughts are with you. Fred and Elaine Baker

To the family of Fred Wendt: Dear Family, My husband and myself were so saddened to hear of Fred’s unexpected passing. Our thoughts and prayers are with you asking for God’s comfort at this time. We shall miss Fred very much. There are not too many people at Tallgrass that seem as friendly as Fred always was. He was so kind and happy, always had a smile for you and seemed to ask genuinely how you were doing. He always waved and spoke when you went by his home on the course and he was outside. We will truly miss his presence, but know he is in a glorious place with the Lord. With heartfelt and sincere condolences, Marc and Judy Stearman

With love to my brother. Please see http://www.legacy.com/Kansas/DeathNotices.asp