HERMAN CHARLES FREDENBERG III

H.C. Fredenberg, DMD, 52, passed away March 17, 2002, as the result of complications following a successful liver transplant performed Feb. 5. His wife, Connie, was at his side.

A memorial and celebration in honor of Mr. Fredenberg's life will be held at his family farm at 12322 Biscane Drive in Palmer on Saturday, March 30, at 2 p.m. Those interested in attending can call 244-6832 or 746-7284 for directions or a map.

Mr. Fredenberg was born Herman Charles Fredenberg III in Keshena, Wis., on Nov. 16, 1949. A member of the Menominee Nation, he was the eldest of nine children born to Herman II and Pauline Wychesit Fredenberg.

His family described him as a well-known and well-loved local dentist affectionately known as the "Tooth Shaman," or "Dr. Fred." Mr. Fredenberg was an exceptional man and a born athlete. He lettered in every sport in high school in Window Rock, Ariz., by the time he graduated in 1968. He attended the University of New Mexico on a full scholarship to play football, and was honored as a Sports Illustrated Player of the Week. Mr. Fredenberg was not just an athlete, he was also a scholar and won a Kellogg Scholarship to attend the University of Kentucky Dental School, where he completed a four-year program in three years. Mr. Fredenberg was the second American Indian in the nation to become a dentist and was a longtime member of the Society of American Indian Dentists. He moved to Alaska in 1974 to fill a short-term position for the Public Health Service at the ANS hospital. Like many residents, he fell in love with Alaska and never left. He started a private practice in Anchorage which he maintained until May 2001, when he moved his practice to his family farm in Palmer.

His family said, "Fred was a strong, gentle, kind, generous and loving soul, a man with a genuinely good spirit who touched all who crossed his path. He is a man who will be deeply missed by his many patients, friends and extended family. Fred's death is a tragic loss to our world, but he creates a bright light in the heavens which must comfort and inspire us all."

Mr. Fredenberg leaves behind his soul mate and wife, Connie Fredenberg; children, Sean Irvin, Tecumseh Fredenberg, Satanta Fredenberg, Wychesit Fredenberg, Nakatla Fredenberg, Grace Oomittuk, Othniel Oomittuk and Kayuktuq Oomittuk; and three grandchildren, Jared and Sarah Rose Oomittuk and Justin Lay. He is also survived by his four brothers, Jim, Lacey, David and Tom; and two sisters, Clara and Denise.

Mr. Fredenberg was preceded in death by his parents; and brothers, Dennis and Craig; and his nephew, Dennis Joseph.

Donations may be made in Mr. Fredenberg's name to the Mr. George Blue Spruce Scholarship Fund, a program initiated by him to encourage Native Americans to become dentists. Send donations to: The Society of American Indian Dentists, P.O. Box 15107, Phoenix, AZ 85060.