Frederick "Fred" A. Galbreath

Frederick “Fred” A. Galbreath, age 85 of Mattoon, IL peacefully passed away surrounded by his children Monday evening, September 13, 2021, at Brookstone Estates in Mattoon, IL. A funeral service in his honor will be held at 1:00 PM, Friday, September 17, 2021, at Mitchell-Jerdan Funeral Home, 1200 Wabash Avenue, Mattoon, IL 61938; Pastor Gary Stephen will officiate. A committal service will immediately follow in Bethel Cemetery in Lafayette Township. The visitation will be held the same day from 11:00 AM until the time service at the funeral home. Fred was born on April 3, 1936, in Charleston, IL to the late Clifford A. and Ruth V. (Rogers) Galbreath. He married Virginia “Kay” Herman on November 17, 1956; she preceded him in death on June 19, 2007. He is survived by his children; one daughter, Lynn Galbreath and husband Andreas Gerling of Burien, WA; one son, Brian Galbreath of Burien, WA; niece, Cheryl Galbreath-Millmore and husband Tim of Indian Land, SC; dear and special friends, Dale and Marlene Estes of Mattoon, IL and Marilyn Jardin of Fishers, IN. He is preceded in death by his brother, David Galbreath. In his youth, Fred attended EIU Laboratory School in Charleston, IL, where he made lasting friendships well into his older years. He was a longtime employee of ILMO Welding Products in Mattoon, IL and retired in 1996. Fred was a member of First Christian Church of Mattoon, IL, and actively involved in Masonic Wabash Lodge #179 as a Master Mason. Fred took great pride in his Galbreath-Mitchell ancestry, the annual reunion at the Ashmore United Presbyterian Church his family helped found in 1841, and preservation of family tombstones and monuments. He loved his “run around” days with Cousin Ann Winkler Hinrichs to discover family information and end the day on the porch at her grandparents’ house in Charleston, IL with good conversation with cousins and friends. An avid aviator since his teenage years, Fred impressively built and flew his experimental BD-4, four passenger aircraft. His love of adventure led him to wide domestic and international travel, including a particularly memorable solo trip to the Holy Land, Egypt and Morocco. He also enjoyed restoring and joy riding on classic tractors and in cars in local events. There was nothing more Fred enjoyed than basking in the beauty of the Illinois landscape of the family farm with the wind turning the classic Aermotor windmill and rustling the mighty oak leaves, pastureland, and crops. He was a doting husband, loving father, and true friend to many. He will be lovingly remembered and cherished. Memorials in his honor may be made to Shriners Hospital for Children, 2900 Rocky Point Drive, Tampa, FL 33607. For those who are unable to attend the funeral service, a life tribute will be available at www.mitchelljerdan.com or www.facebook.com/mitchelljerdanfuneralhome .To light a virtual candle in his honor or share a memory with the family, please visit the website.

Tributes

Frederick "Fred" A. Galbreath

April 3, 1936 - September 13, 2021