Fred K. Nate, 77, passed away February 23, 2021, at the Portneuf Medical Center in Pocatello with his wife by his side. Fred was born April 26, 1943, in Montpelier to Ferris K. Nate and Verona Williams Nate. He attended school in Montpelier graduating from Montpelier High School in 1961. All through high school he was active in sports. He played on the basketball, football, and track teams. He was on the basketball team that won the State Championship his senior year. He was a member of the Letterman’s club and served as secretary his senior year. Also, his senior year he was chosen to reign over the Junior-Senior Ball as King with Kathleen Michaelson as his Queen.
After high school, Fred received a scholarship to play football at Snow College in Ephraim, Utah. After leaving Snow College, he attended Idaho State University where he received his certification as a welder.
He married Judith Etcheverry June 24, 1966. In 1969, they moved to Kent, Washington, where he worked at Boeing and also worked at a facility that built railroad cars. Fred had a love for baseball. All during his years in Washington he traveled the Tri-State area playing in fast pitch baseball tournaments. Even after returning to Montpelier he continued playing in tournaments in Idaho and Wyoming. He was an avid Los Angeles Dodger fan. Fred and Judith later divorced.
Fred loved fly fishing and was very proficient at tying his own flies. Another of Fred’s many interests was trap shooting. He belonged to the Montpelier Sportsman Club where they traveled to other areas for shoots. He did all of his own shell re-loading. Fred was also a coin collector. He had books of old coins. The story goes when his kids were little they just saw them as money and would steal them and go to Maverik. Fred was famous for his dutch oven chicken and it was always part of any friends or family gathering. Fred was on the Pine Creek Ski Patrol for 27 years and a member of the Caribou Cattleman’s Association.
In August of 1998, he met Dianne Mills (formerly Dianne Dayton) who lived in Evanston. They had known each other since childhood and married on Halloween of 2000. Fred’s sister, Linda, said she was going to go on their honeymoon with them, and she did, along with her husband, Ed. They spent 11 days touring Italy, which Fred never stopped talking about. There were also other trips throughout Europe. In later years Fred’s favorite times were when he was hooked onto the R.V. heading down the road.
How do you describe Fred Nate? An honorable man whose word was as good as a contract. Whenever anyone was in need Fred was the first to call to ask what he could do to help, expecting nothing in return. He had a compassion for animals, he was a jokester, a tease, and he touched so many lives. He tried to sound tough, but anyone who knew him knew he was a marshmallow. He is the last of a dying breed and one of a kind.
Fred was preceded in death by his parents; his son, Charlie; brother-in-law, Ed Minhondo; and father-in-law, Forrest Dayton. He is survived by his wife, Dianne; son, John; daughter, Jacque (Jim) Kober; granddaughter, Zoe; grandson, Lucas; sister, Linda Minhondo; mother-in-law, Pauline Dayton; and sister-in-law, Shelly DiViesti.
Services were in the Montpelier 1st ward church on Saturday, Feb. 27, 2021.