Therese Frechette

Therese Frechette, age 96, of Ortonville, passed away on Sunday, January 24, 2021, at Fairway View Neighborhoods in Ortonville.

A private memorial service will be held at Mundwiler Funeral Home in Milbank, SD. A visitation for friends and family wishing to pay their respects will be on Wednesday, January 27, from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. at Mundwiler Funeral Home in Milbank.

While maintaining social distancing guidelines, we are now able to gather for visitations and services. The use of face masks by attendees is required, and we will continue taking the necessary steps to keep our facility clean. For those who prefer or require continued precautions, livestreaming of the service will be viewable at the bottom of this page on Thursday, January 28, 2021, at 1:00 p.m.

Terry Frechette was the third youngest of 13 children born to David and Evelina Côté on January 15, 1925, in St. Pierre Jolys, Manitoba, Canada. After completing 11th grade, due to teacher shortages during WWII, Terry went to teach in a one room schoolhouse in Boggy Creek, MB. The next year she finished high school, then attended teacher’s college in St. Boniface, MB. She married Henry Frechette in 1949. They raised five children in Manitoba, Alberta, British Columbia, Yukon Territory, Minnesota and Florida.  Terry taught school for many years in Canada. She worked at Honeywell in Minnesota and Florida for 22 years. She passed on her strong work ethic to each of us.

Mom’s enthusiasm for life was contagious. She greeted each day with coffee, the daily Jumble and the crossword puzzle.  Terry loved to have fun, always looked her best and was ready for adventure anytime (never without lipstick). She loved pizza and beer, Olive Garden, a good burger and fries, playing cards, dancing and listening to music. She was either in the kitchen with the radio on, or she was in her Florida room watching sports (Tiger Woods!). She was up on all the news whether it skewed left or right. She always had snacks out for visitors. She would cheer loudly for her kids, grandkids and her favorite sports teams. Terry played softball, was on curling and bowling teams, was an avid walker and loved gardening. She could work in the yard all day.

She was an incredible woman. She spoke French and English with music in her voice. Her smile lit up our days and we won’t be the same without her.  She left a permanent imprint on everyone she met.

Left to cherish her memory are her five children: Janine Frechette (Gerald Becker) of Merriam, KS; Louise Frechette (Gary Arnold) of Minnetonka, MN; Pauline Hicks (John) of Milbank, SD; Gerald Frechette (Sue) of Oshkosh, WI; and Michelle Nash (Mark) of Reddick, FL; grandchildren: Lauren Becker (Matt Poindexter), Claire Becker (Mike Drew), Brandon Spors (Melissa), Eric Spors, Steven Spors (Kayla), Heather LaMee (Mike), Dave Hicks (Miriah), Dani Hicks, Dan Hicks (Kiley), Steve Hicks, Leah Perantoni, Luke Perantoni (Aspen), Lauree Frechette, Bryanna Tarsitano, and Chad Nash (Kimmie); 26 great-grandchildren; one sibling, Leontine Tessier; and many nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband; 11 siblings; her son-in-law, Jerome Spors; and step-grandson, Paul Hicks.