Eugene “Gene” A. Feddema, 89, Sartell

October 23, 1933 - June 28, 2023

Eugene Alfred “Gene” Feddema, 89, passed away peacefully on June 28, 2023, at Country Manor Nursing Home in Sartell. Visitation will be held Wednesday, July 5, 2023 from 5-8 p.m. at Williams Dingmann Funeral Home in Sauk Rapids. This will be followed by a short visitation from 10-11 a.m. at St. Augustine Catholic Church, St. Cloud, on Thursday, July 6, 2023 prior to the Mass of Christian Burial at 11 a.m. [Please check church website for directions to church and parking during Wilson Avenue SE construction closure.] Lunch will be served at St. Augustine following Mass; a procession will then commence to burial at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church Cemetery, Sauk Rapids.

Gene was surrounded in his final days by his loving immediate family and siblings: his children Laurel (John), Steve, Tom (Dana), Greg (Kelly), and Kevin (Becky) and 10 grandchildren: Andy, Jackson, Matthew, Carolyn, Lauren, Kate, Natalie, Julianne, Kallie (Mike) and Brian. He is survived by his brother Richard (Rita) Feddema and his sister, Eileen Iburg. He was preceded in death by his wife, Shirley, his parents and sisters Marie Stock and Joan Traut.

Gene was born in 1933 to Alphonse and Dorothy (Krippner) Feddema. He grew up on a farm northwest of St. Cloud, attended country school through the eighth grade, and went on to graduate from Cathedral High School in 1951. Gene served in the Army in Korea as a Supply Sergeant. He married Shirley Stark on August 6, 1960, after meeting her at a dance at the Benton County Fairgrounds.

Gene excelled at sports and had a long, flourishing amateur baseball run, playing many years for Sauk Rapids. He attended St. Cloud Business School, then began his successful career as a wholesale granite monument salesman. He was employed for 48 years by Royal Melrose/Cold Spring Granite Company. His sales territory was mainly the Southeastern US, where he often traveled to meet clients and attend conventions. He was a talented relationship-builder, appreciated by rural dealers for his commitment and approachability.

A long-time member of St. Augustine Church and Knights of Columbus, Gene was a man of great Catholic faith, and loved his family. He enjoyed following his sons’ sports participation, the Minnesota Twins and Vikings, and working in his extensive garden. He kept up with the many people he knew in the community, remembering--from afar or close up--the details of people’s lives, their interests, jobs, etc. He was also known for his love of “dad jokes” and kept a collection of joke clips in his wallet at the ready. At Country Manor, where he most recently lived, he was known for his daily—and very social—walks with his walker around campus.