Frederick L. "Fred" Rath

Frederick L. "Fred" Rath, age 78, of Rural Savanna, Illinois, died on Wednesday, January 3, 2007 at the Good Samaritan Nursing Home in Mount Carroll, Illinois. A funeral service will be held at 10:30 am on Monday, January 8, 2007 at the Trinity Lutheran Church in Rural Mount Carroll. Reverend Philip Bigelow will officiate. A visitation will be held from 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm on Sunday, January 7, 2007 at the Frank-Law-Jones Funeral Home in Mount Carroll. Burial will be in the Zion Cemetery in Rural Mount Carroll. In Lieu of flowers a memorial fund has been established in Fred's memory.
Fred was born on February 6, 1928, the son of Julius H. and Mary (Schnitzler) Rath in Washington Township. He attended Savanna High School and graduated with the class of 1945. Fred married Joyce E. Imel on February 8, 1953 in the St. Peter's Parsonage in Savanna. Fred was a baptized and confirmed Lutheran, and was a longtime member of St. Matthew's Lutheran Church and later the Trinity Lutheran Church where he served on the Church Council. He was drafted during the Korean Conflict and served in the United States Army. Fred farmed in Woodland and Washington Township all of his life and was a former Director for the Carroll County Farm Bureau. He enjoyed reading and tending cattle.

Fred will be missed by his wife, Joyce of Savanna; two sons, Keith (Dawn) Rath of Savanna and Kurt (Becky) Rath of Savanna; two daughters, Kathy (Wayne) Becker of Mount Carroll and Kristine (Larry) Goss of Etna Green, Indiana; two brothers, Paul (Helen) Rath of Savanna and Joseph (Viola) Rath of Lanark, Illinois; one sister, Dr. Eunice Mary Rath of Lanark; ten grandchildren and one great-grandchild.

Fred is preceded in death by his parents; one brother, Henry Rath and one sister, Lois Koester.