Frederick Victor (Fred) Nystrom

Frederick (Fred) Victor Nystrom, age 86, passed away peacefully on December 13, 2023 in Dodge City, KS. He was born January 22, 1937 to Victor and Ethel Nystrom in Edwards County Kansas. He attended Lewis and Kinsley schools and graduated from Kinsley High School in 1955. He enlisted in the Army after graduation and proudly served until 1959.

Fred married Sue Werner on August 6, 1959, at Saint Peter and Paul Church, Kinsley Kansas. The couple moved around the area some before settling in Dodge City where they raised 3 children. He worked many years as a truck driver for Steffen’s Dairy and later Dodge City Concrete until his retirement.

Fred was quite an athlete in his high school days, and was even fought over by football coaches from Lewis and Kinsley schools! He settled on Kinsley where he was voted as having the “Best Physique” his senior year by his peers. Fred was very proud of his service to this country and loved to talk about time spent overseas, mostly as a Staff Sargent while serving in Italy. He was an excellent provider, son, husband, father and employee. While he instilled a strong work ethic in his children, his “job” wasn’t his life. His real job was at home, where he raised a family and worked on many, many projects over the years. He was always fixing or “customizing” something, from clock radios and lawn mowers to motorcycles and cars. He could make anything work with very little or no money ever spent! He loved it when something he fixed or had around the place could help someone. There was ALWAYS something for the kids and grandkids to ride and he got much satisfaction out of watching them enjoy the fruits of his labor.

Family was very important to Fred; he took care of everyone in his own way. He often took jobs to help his family while still in school and helped take care of his parents as they aged. He made sure his children understood the value of hard work, but was still proud to be able to provide for them and his wife. He made sure to take Sue dancing often in their younger years and his family on vacation every year! Fred was very smart and had a great memory. He could tell great stories from places he had been and things he had done in his past and even knew where pretty much every single tool or part was on the place!

He is survived by his wife, Sue of the home, their son Brice (Deborah) Nystrom of Dodge City, KS; daughter Barbra (Roger) Diller, of Weston, CO, 4 granddaughters; Cassandra (Jeremy) Kiehl of Dodge City, Andrea (Chris) Jones of Farmington, NM, Nikki (Jose) Gallardo of Colorado Springs, CO and Erin Diller of Euless, TX; 1 grandson, Jared Diller of Wailuku, HI; as well as 5 great grandchildren. He is also survived by his brothers Gerald Nystrom of Austin, TX, Terry (Johnita) Nystrom of Greensburg, KS and dear sister Rosetta (Galen) Graff of Kinsley, KS; many in-laws, nieces, nephews, cousins and friends. He was preceded in death by his parents and his son, Russell J. Nystrom.

A graveside memorial service will take place at Saint Peter and Paul Cemetery in Kinsley, KS Thursday, December 28 at 1 p.m. Everyone is invited to lunch in the schoolhouse to share memories and visit following the service. Memorials are suggested to Dodge City VFW or donor’s choice, in care of McKillip Memorial Funeral Home, 623 Marsh Ave, Kinsley, KS.