Frederick H. Decker

ST. IGNATIUS — Frederick H. "Freddie" Decker, the only son of Fred B. and Mary (McClure) Decker, was born Feb. 12, 1917, and died of natural causes Saturday morning, Dec. 16, 2006, at the family home. Freddie was a proud member of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes and was the oldest living tribal war veteran.

He graduated from Thompson Falls High School in 1938. He lettered in athletics, was student body president and a well-known baseball player, and participated in numerous high school clubs.

Prior to joining the Army in 1942, Freddie worked for the Civilian Conservation Corps in heavy equipment operations. During World War II, Freddie was in the Army Aviation Engineers. He served in Tunisia, Naples-Foggia, Rome-Arno and southern France. He built airstrips and dismantled land mines. Freddie was honorably discharged on Aug. 28, 1945.

After the war, he married Alma Eileen Swaney in 1948. Freddie and Eileen had three children: Denise, Daniel and Mary Jean. Freddie and Eileen also cared for Maureen (Kelly) Swaney, Colleen (EO) Swaney, James (KittyKat) Swaney, Doug Swaney and Beverly Swaney.

Freddie had a variety of work experiences. He worked for the U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Indian Affairs Roads Division and Kicking Horse Job Corps as a heavy equipment instructor. Most of his work was with heavy equipment and road construction with the BIA, from which he retired at Juneau, Alaska, in 1980.

Freddie was an avid outdoorsman who enjoyed fishing as often as he could and the mountains of the Flathead Indian Reservation, especially the Jocko where at age 17 he helped construct the "Decker Cabin" at the Shovel Camp of the North Fork of the Jocko River. He was complimented in 1980 in the Southeast Empire newspaper of Juneau as an "expert equipment operator working in such exotic places as Crooked Creek, the upper KusKoKwim River and Chignik on the Alaska Peninsula, where he constructed suspension bridges and boardwalks."

Freddie was preceded in death by his parents; three sisters, Dorothy Decker Dupuis, Ann Decker Dupuis and Zelda Decker Morigeau; and James (KittyKat) Swaney.

Freddie is survived by his wife of 58 years, Eileen, at the family home in St. Ignatius; his children, Denise and Gary Morigeau, Mary Jean Decker, and Daniel and Cher Decker, all of St. Ignatius; 15 grandchildren, James Steele, Jr., Rick Steele, Matt Steele, Bill Steele, Dan Decker, Shawn Decker, Josh Decker, Amber Walks Over Ice, Amanda Decker, Wyatt Decker, Shaniya Decker, Victoria Decker, Pauline Never Misses A Shot, Dustin Decker and Dylan Decker; and 17 great-grandchildren.

A funeral Mass was celebrated Dec. 19 at the St. Ignatius Catholic Church. Burial was in the Decker Family Cemetery.

Foster & Durgeloh Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.