Fred Hagebusch

Graveside service for Cleo Frederick Hagebusch will be 10 a.m., Sat., May 7, at Chelsea Cemetery, under the direction of the Chelsea Funeral Home & Cremation Service. Military honors will be presented by the U.S. Army.

Cleo Frederick Hagebusch, better known as Fred, Daddy or Grandad of Alluwe, OK passed from this life on May 4, 2016 at the age of 91 at the VA Medical Center in Muskogee, OK after suffering multiple strokes in a two week time period.

He was born September 12, 1924 at Coody’s Bluff, OK in Nowata County to Everett and Angie Ann Hobbs, Hagebusch of the Old Alluwe area. One of five children, he was raised in the Alluwe area graduating from Alluwe High School in May 1942. On July 8,1943, he entered the United States Army where he served with the 701st Light Maintenance Company in the European Theatre of Operations. He fought in the Battles of Normandy, the Battle of the Bulge, Northern France and Central Europe, earning the EAME Theatre Ribbon, Good Conduct Medal, World War II Victory Ribbon and a Silver Service Star. When stationed in Germany he met General Patton. While Fred was guarding an outpost on the field camp where the password was changed hourly, General Patton and his assistant wanted to enter the camp. They did not know the password, so Fred would not let them enter. This infuriated General Patton. Eventually General Patton obtained the password and Fred allowed them to enter. Later the assistant thanked Fred for doing his job and stated that if he had let them enter without the password the General would have been even more furious. Fred was given an Honorable discharge on December 6, 1945. After leaving the US Army Fred worked the oil fields and met the love of his life, Betty Jean Still at Nowata. Fred and Betty were married in Bartlesville on March 24, 1950 and settled back in the Alluwe area where they were blessed with three children Everette, Sandra and Brenda and a marriage that lasted for almost 58 years until Betty’s death in Feb of 2008 separated them. Fred lived for his family and was a very hands on kind of Dad. While helping Everette and Sandy with their math homework, Brenda crawled up on his lap and asked “Dad can you help me with my pluses and of course he did. If there was a scraped knee or elbow it was just as likely that Dad would be doing the doctoring. Mom was known to say that at times she would get upset because Dad would take over. Brenda was the family baby and we all adored her (still do) but sometimes she cried a lot. We would all Mom, Dad, Everette and Sandy do anything and everything to try to appease her. One night was particularly bad and we were all at our wit’s end. Dad was rocking her and she just would not stop, so Dad spatted her on the leg and told her to hush. She hushed but the rest of us were ready to whip Dad. I think that was the closest that Dad ever came to getting the whole family mad at him. Mom always packed Dad a lunch fit for the king of the house that he was, but he always just got too full to eat it all and would bring a cupcake or moonpie home for Everette and Sandy. He was Everette’s boy scout leader and one of the biggest and most consistent fans of any basketball or baseball games his children participated in. He was on the school board until his last child Brenda graduated high school. His love and affection for his children was easily carried over for his grandchildren and great grandchildren. His great grandson’s had been out to visit one day and when they left Brenda commented to him that she thought those boys might be messes - he replied that he thought they might be two messes. He was a Grandad whose cookie jar was never empty and those Lil Dutch Maid vanilla cookies did not ever taste as good as they did coming out of Grandad’s cookie jar. He also had a candy jar of Peanut M&M’s that never ran dry. He was very proud of his children and grandchildren’s accomplishments in life.

Fred is preceded in death by his wife Betty of 57+ years, his parents Everett and Angie, brothers Lionel and Ted, Sister Phyllis Weixel.

He is survived by one sister Iris Bassinger of Houston, TX, His son Everette and wife Trisha of Chelsea, His daughter Sandra Hagebusch of Warner and Brenda Hagebusch of Alluwe. Granddaughter Amy and husband Morgan Rice of Chelsea and Grandson Matthew and wife Marilee of Chelsea. Great Grandsons Nick and Ben Hagebusch of Chelsea and Levi Rice of Chelsea. Multiple Nieces and Nephews.

Leave your memories of Fred and view his tribute online at www.mmsfuneralhomes.com .