Fred Crnkovich

Fred was born in Zook Spur, Iowa, on April 22, 1919, to Vance and Mary Crnkovich. He was raised in the Des Moines, Iowa, area and graduated from Slater High School in 1937 as their star baseball pitcher. After graduation Fred played professional baseball, first, trying out with the Boston Red Sox, then training in Texas and pitching for the Fargo, North Dakota, team. Rather than give up smoking (as demanded by the team manager), he chose to leave the Fargo team and traveled north to Canada. He played for the Winnipeg Maroons until WWII, earning $75 a month as a pitcher (he also drove the team bus). By the way, Fred finally gave up that smoking habit ïéé½cold turkeyïéé½ in 1963. Fred joined the U.S. Coast Guard in February 1942. He was a radar man and served the duration of the war aboard ships in both the Pacific and the Atlantic Oceans. While in the South Pacific, he was on the USS Centaurus, which transported military troops, including General Douglas McArthur, among various islands and returned prisoners to the United States. On return trips to the States, the crew would teach prisoners to sing the Coast Guard victory song. Later, Fred transferred to the East Coast and served aboard patrol ships in the North Atlantic. Fred had moved in 1939 with his family to Longmont, Colorado, where he later met Marie (Alice) Stafford. They were married on June 23, 1946, and spent 63 good years together. After the war Fred injured his hand, thus ending any thoughts to continue pitching in professional baseball. He worked several jobs, including four trips to Thule, Greenland, with construction crews that built an air strip there. In 1951 Fred began working for the U.S. Postal Service as a mail carrier and retired 28 years later. He enjoyed his job and patrons. Mountain View Church was on his route and, because of the kindness of the pastors and office staff, he, Marie, and their younger daughter, Michele, began attending the church in 1970. Fred was a member of the National Association of Letter Carriers - Local Branch 47 for over 50 years, American Legion, Slater (Iowa) Historical Society, USS Centaurus alumni association, and Mountain View Community Church. Fred enjoyed many years of retirement, refinishing old furniture, walking with his dog, working on his yard and home, and traveling to all 50 states and 15 foreign countries. Fred was preceded in death by his parents, one daughter, Michele, two brothers, and one sister. He is survived by his wife, Marie; one daughter, Sharon Parks; a grandson, Brian Hassett, for whom Fred served as a guardian; a granddaughter, Kelly (Carlos) Rosario, two great-grandchildren, Natalie and Carlos, Jr.; two sisters, Edith Schell of Longmont and Della Villani of Las Vegas, Nevada; and numerous nieces, nephews, and cousins. Fred passed peacefully into God's care on July 23, 2009.