Frieda Culbertson Obituary

Service for Frieda Jane Culbertson, 91, Lawrence will be private. Private family burial will take place at McLouth Cemetery. She died January 1, 2018, at Brandon Woods at Alvamar.

Frieda was born on May 22, 1926 on a farm near Oskaloosa, Kansas the daughter of Floyd Herman and Leah Frances (Black) Wray.

Frieda attended the University of Kansas School of Business from 1944 – 1948.

Frieda married Ray Lee Culbertson on August 29, 1948, and began their marriage of 62 years. He preceded her in death December 12, 2010.

Frieda and Ray lived in Lawrence for 35 years where Frieda pursued active community service as a Girl Scout Leader, a Cub Scout Leader, president of the Sunset Hills PTA. She was active in the First Baptist Church of Lawrence as a Sunday school teacher, choir member, and circle member. Later, after they moved to Overland Park, she was active in the Prairie Baptist church, and served as a volunteer at Shawnee Mission Hospital for 30 years, where she was named Outstanding Volunteer of the Year several times.

Frieda's creativity found many outlets: she was a talented seamstress who could accomplish anything with a needle from making her own wedding gown to making clothes for her family, to crafting draperies, to upholstering furniture. An avid gardener, when she lived in town she kept a greenhouse in the back yard and did all the landscaping of her home. When she lived in the countryside, she kept a huge organic garden and grew a wide variety of vegetables and fruits. As an artist, first in oils, then working in stained glass, she excelled in the creation of Tiffany style lamps and won many awards in competition.

After retirement in 1989, Frieda and Ray lived in the home they had built in the countryside near Eudora, where she finished all the woodwork, laid the tile, hung the wallpaper, painted the walls, and, of course, made the draperies. They embraced an active retirement building their gardens, traveling, and enjoying time together and with their children and grandchildren.

Survivors include her one daughter, Susan Pitcher and husband, William Pitcher of Pine, Colorado; two sons, Ron Culbertson and wife, Opal Culbertson of Ashland, Kansas, Jerry Culbertson, Lawrence, Kansas; four grandchildren, Jordan Bucher, Leia Pitcher, Jyma Culbertson and Hayes Culbertson, three step grandchildren, Stephanie, Petey and Mitchell; eight great grandchildren and eight step great grandchildren. She was also preceded in death by her four siblings.

Memorial contributions may be made to Great Lakes Hospice and may be sent in care of Warren-McElwain Mortuary.

Online condolences may be posted at warrenmcelwain.com.