Senior Focus on ...Fred Strowbridge

Fred Strowbridge is a “family man” so to speak. He grew up in Bemidji, fourth youngest in a  family with 13 kids, and is fondly attached to the seven besides himself that are left. Fred talks persistently about Judy, Linda, Randy and Jim, who are still in Bemidji; and Hoosier, Alice and Annie, who live in Montana, what they are doing, where they live, and about their lives. Also, he remembers those who have passed on, Lois, Kenny; and Larry, who just died a few weeks ago. Brother Bill was killed in 1967 in an auto accident out west, shortly after he was married; and the youngest brother Johnny died at about age five. 

Fred's mom died at just age 50 leaving several little ones to be cared for, and dad at age 69. 

“Dad would bring home horses, and the kids trained them, and sold them. There were three arenas there at the farm. We sometimes took the horses to boys and girls camps in summer for them to enjoy.”

“I liked to break horses, and ride there at the farm,” he says.

You can tell immediately how each one of Fred's siblings has an honored place in his home and in his heart. He has pictures everywhere, of things they've done, and often with their spouses. 

Then there are his “adopted” families, so to speak, which fill photo spots too. Like two youngsters, that got attached to Fred when they were just toddlers, and have been “his children” ever since. He remembers rocking them to sleep, and now, they still visit him as teenagers, sometimes staying the night where he has special rooms all decorated for them. 

“They're as much my children, as if they were my own,” Fred says. 

There are also many other children in the area who fondly call him “Grandpa Fred!”

Besides all these, there are his own five children, Tony, Danny, Angie, Mara, and Roslynn; plus 11 grandchildren, and two new great grandchildren born last fall. Fred seems to have a heart big enough to hold them all, and many more. 

In June of 1997, Fred married Sandy Torgeson, and two more kids were added to his “family” - Kevin and Rebecca. Sandy passed away from a sudden heart problem in 2003. 

Fred, who moved to Bagley nearly three years ago from Gully, runs a strict household. “No smoking, no drinking, no drugs,” he says, and when friends come to visit they know the rules – “There's no partying”. 

But Fred knows how to have a good time. He owns a huge Harley-Davidson jukebox from the 1980s filled with mostly County-Western music they can listen to, and an area in the basement where they can watch movies or concerts on dvds. 

Fred likes to go to auctions, and has decorated and furnished his house in western style, including deer head and bull horn mounts, with many of the things he's obtained at some of those auctions. He's proud of his ability to see a treasured bargain and enjoys the hunt as much as the objects. 

Some of Fred's hobbies during the years have been playing pool, and hunting. He has many trophies he has won throughout Minnesota and other states, and became very good at it. Also, he excelled at football in high school. He made a 55 yard field goal in the 9th grade at Bemidji. He did 43, then 64 free throws in a row when playing basketball. 

At age 18 Fred went into the Army, serving in Viet Nam, Japan, and Colorado in 1970-71 as a lineman  building roads in the 864th Engineering Battalion. Unfortunately, he was injured in his leg and spent seven months in the hospital, then being discharged with a disability. 

Fred has done a variety of occupations, including cross country trucking for C. D. Haugen in Bemidji, driving from Philadelphia to Portland each week. 

“I don't miss that,” he says, and quit in 1986. 

He installed water lines all over for Bland Management, mostly staying in a tent for that job.

“I worked for Erie Mining in Hoyt Lakes, Minn. for a time. And I was a school bus driver out in Montana for a year, on 'The Hungry Horse' route near Columbia Falls. At night I'd haul microfilm for banks down to Missoula.” 

One year, four pick up loads of family members went out to Montana to have a hunting party. They camped at Echo Laca, and one of them got an eight point white tail buck that dressed out at 272 pounds. He visited the Glacier National Park in northwestern Montana.

“I tell my kids, 'There's no such thing as an enemy – just friends you haven't met yet.” Of course, that's unless he's bidding against them at an auction! 

Fred says he doesn't plan too far ahead, but he does plan to go back and forth to Montana to visit his family there from time to time. 

Fred likes to help others out, and is quick to lend a hand when he sees a need. And that makes him a special asset to family, friends, and neighbors here. Welcome to the community, Fred.