Freda Alice Coate

   Freda Alice Coate, 100 of Leander, TX and formerly of Danville, passed away on February 12, 2020 at Riva Ridge Assisted Living. Visitation will be from 4-6pm on Thursday, February 20, 2020 at Kruger Coan Pape Funeral Home, 10 E. Williams Street in Danville. Services will be at 11am on Friday, February 21st at the funeral home, with Pastor Doug Knapp officiating. Burial will follow at Atherton Cemetery with military honors by American Legion Post 210.

   Freda was born on November 20, 1919 in Union Corner, IL to Ernest and Bessie (Langley) Haworth. She attended Westville High School during the Great Depression, graduating in 1937 and going on to attend Indiana Central College for a year and then Lakeview School of Nursing, graduating in 1941 with her Registered Nurse Degree. She enlisted in the US Army and served as a nurse in the Army Nurse Corp during WWII from May of 1943 to January of 1946. She earned the rank of first lieutenant and received the Expeditionary medal for her work, including in the malaria ward for soldiers. Upon returning from the service, she worked at Lakeview and later the Danville VA Hospital, retiring from there in 1982.

   Freda was a very modest woman, not often speaking of her time in the service, until an article featuring her as published many years later. Freda enjoyed knitting, crocheting and quilting, often for herself, and as gifts for her family and friends. After her retirement she could often be found traveling- she went to Europe, across the United States, and enjoyed many cruises to different locales. She was honored to see one hundred years, and celebrate with four generations of her family, as well as State Senators, representatives from the Nurses Army Corp, and high-ranking officials from both Fort Sam Houston and Fort Hood Killeen, TX. She was presented with numerous gifts from the military, including several “challenge coins” from other soldiers. November 29, 2019 was declared “Freda Coates Day” and she was issued a proclamation by the Mayor of Leander at her birthday recognizing a lifetime of service.

   Freda married Stephen in June of 1946 and the two shared many happy years together before he passed away on Jul 8, 1977. From their union came two children: Alice and Lee. Survivors include her daughter Alice (Steven) Hathaway, two grandchildren: Steven Hathaway and Tamara McAvoy; and two great grandchildren: Sean Hathaway and Morgan McAvoy. She was preceded in death by her husband Stephen, her son Lee, two brothers: Donald and Ross, and two sisters Hazel Greisen and Edna Mae Dunavan.

   Memorials may be made in Freda’s name to the Vermilion County War Museum. Messages and memories may be left on our website at www.KrugerCoanPape.com, or on the Kruger-Coan-Pape Funeral Home Facebook page.

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