Dr. Fred Shubeck was born Nov. 25, 1918, on his family’s homestead farm in Centerville.
He went on to be with Jesus Feb. 13, 2018, at the age of ninety-nine years and three months. Fred attended country school, Centerville High School, and graduated from South Dakota State College in 1940. Following a science and vocational agriculture teaching job at De Smet, he joined the Army Air Corps and was commissioned a second lieutenant as a B-24 pilot. Fred’s first plane (which had the nose art of “Furioso the Bull”) crashed on a landing and the Army Air Corps were kind enough to give him and his fellow crew members a brand-new plane called “Mas Worry.. After completing 33 combat missions, Fred received the Distinguished Flying Cross, a silver and three bronze Oakleaf Clusters.
Following the service and while attending The University of Minnesota, he spotted the most beautiful woman he had ever seen at a café. At first getting the cold shoulder, Fred finally persisted, and Carol Sanstead became Carol Shubeck to which three children were born: Ruth, Mary, and Paul.
Family life started in Brookings, where he taught Soils and Research at SDSU and did his own farming after work. Later he became the manager of the Southeast Experimental Farm and retired as Professor Emeritus. Fred never stopped learning and attended each annual meeting at the experiment farm until age 98.
Always willing to help on the family farm, he often said he wished his father could experience the amazing progress of modern agriculture.
Faith being important, he and Carol prayed out loud each night. They were involved in Dalesburg Lutheran Church, always helping out and folk dancing at Midsommar Swedish Festival each year.
Fred was preceded in death by his loving wife of 66 years and a daughter, Ruth. He is survived by daughter Mary (Don) Josko of Sioux Falls and son Paul (Carol) Shubeck of Centerville. Seven grandchildren: Conrad (Kelly) Josko of Beresford, Kristen (Matt) Mueller of Brookings, Christopher Josko of Des Moines, Mike (Kaitlyn) Shubeck of Rapid City, John (Megan) Shubeck of Centerville, Heidi (Jon) Gillam of Rapid City, and Katie (Josh) Clayton of Centerville. Sixteen great-grandchildren: Hannah, Emme, Max, and Juliet Josko; Carter, Zachary, and Wesley Mueller; Henry, Genevieve, and Josephine Shubeck; Emery, Eli, and Anna Shubeck; Lilly, Adelaide, and Lorelei Clayton.
Funeral services will be 1 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 24, 2018, at Dalesburg Lutheran Church, rural Beresford with visitation one hour prior to the service. Burial with military honors will follow at Riverview Cemetery in Centerville.
For online condolences, visit wassfuneralhome.com.
