Fred Hornstra, Jr., 90, of Yankton

Fred passed away peacefully at his home on Tuesday, September 15, 2020. Services are pending with Peters Funeral Home in Springfield.

The family requests that memorials be directed to the Trinity Lutheran Debt Relief or the National Music Museum at the University of South Dakota.

Fred Hornstra Jr. was the oldest of the 12 member family of Fred J and Ruby F. (Baker) Hornstra. He was born on December 13,1929---a miserably cold night (-30 degrees). He was delivered by Dr Kieling, the family doctor,  who drove his Model T Ford ten miles from Springfield to the family homestead.

Fred began his education in a 1-room school house and until the 5th grade was the only student in his class. He graduated from Springfield High School in 1947 and almost immediately joined the Army Air Force where he attended Bandsmen School in Washington, D.C. He was later assigned to Rapid City Army Air Force Base where he was a member of the 612 Army Air Force Band as a Sousaphone player.

While in Rapid City, he met a delightful young lady from Custer by the name of Ila Rice. They were married April 29, 1951.  They had 2 daughters---Daria Kay and Karla Renee.  As a family, they enjoyed camping and sailing together.

As part of his tenure in the Air Force, Fred was sent on an assignment to Thule Greenland where he stayed for 6 months in the darkness and -55 degree temperatures, followed by 24 hour daylight. It was during the light season that Fred had the unique opportunity to participate in a polar navigation training flight to circle the North Pole, circle twice and then proceed 1200 miles south to the North Magnetic Pole in northern Canada---entitling him to membership in the "Knights of the Blue Nose."

Fred departed the Air Force in 1956 and entered the South Dakota School of Mines, graduating in 1960 and then earning his Masters Degree. He enjoyed faculty positions at that institution, at the University of Minnesota and at a corporate graduate school in Chicago. He was then  employed in research and development at the University of Chicago's Argonne National Laboratory, at the University of California's Los Alamos (New Mexico) Scientific Laboratory, and at the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory west of Chicago where he served as Director of the National Battery Testing Laboratory. He talked often about testing and improving batteries for the General Motors Corp. He was invited to Japan to advise in the development of batteries used today in Nissan and Toyota electric vehicles.

Early in his career, Fred gained international recognition when he invented a device that provided a visible image, in real time,of a proton beam in an accelerator. Such devices have been employed in virtually every proton accelerator in the world. He went on to develop a number of other devices and techniques that help accelerators operate more efficiently, effectively and productively.

After Fred retired from a management position, he was offered an appointment as a guest physicist at Hadron-Electron Ring Anlage (HERA) project in Ham

burg, Germany, where he spent over 3 years. While in Germany, he and Ila were able to travel the entire continent. They also became involved with a Square Dancing group and made wonderful friends as they performed all over Europe---and even after they returned to the States.

After his retirement, he and his wife Ila built the dream house that they had designed west of Yankton. He also started playing the cello, taking lessons and enjoying his times as a member of "The Prairie Ensemble", playing in church, and for the elderly in nursing facilities. He and Ila continued to travel the world with trips to China, Australia,New Zealand, Russia,every state in the United States and every province in Canada.  Of course, there were also many trips to visit the grandchildren in North Carolina and Illinois.

Fred was a kind and gentle man who loved his Lord, his family and all his neighbors and friends. Whenever a new family moved into the neighborhood, he would hand-build a birdhouse and present it as a welcome gift.  He devoted time to teaching Confirmation classes and Sunday School and was a member of Trinity Lutheran Church in Yankton for 28 years. Fred served on the City Planning Commission in St. Charles, IL. He also enjoyed a "good run" completing marathons in Chicago and in Hamburg, Germany. Fred loved his 1949 John Deere "B" tractor---to which he added a manure spreader and named it the "Politicians' Special." He rode it in parades during Czech Days and Riverboat Days for over 10 years---bringing smiles to many.

Fred met Karen Dawson, a member of his church, soon after Ila's death in 2014.  Their friendship grew and they were eventually married on April 5, 2019.

Thankful to have shared in Fred's enormous life are his wife Karen Dawson, daughter Daria (Brent) Miller of Charlotte, NC, daughter Karla Akwa (Kevin Krippner) of Downs,IL, grandchildren--- Jason Miller (Leslie), Brian Miller (Olivia) and Brittany Miller, Noah Akwa and Anniah Akwa. He leaves 6 great grand children, 7 brothers and sisters including Norma Henriksen of Oyster Bay NY, Audrey (Ken) Foley of Papillion, NE, Charles (Joan) Hornstra of Torrance, CA, Darrell Hornstra of Mechanicsville, VA, Beverly (James) Phelps of Los Ranchos, NM, Barbara Emmons of Anna Texas, Mary Pat Karlson of Fontana, CA---- and numerous nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents Fred and Ruby Hornstra, his  wife Ila (of 63 years), and his brother Donald Hornstra.