Arthur "Art" H. Fritson

Arthur “Art” H. Fritson, a beloved husband, father, grandfather, and friend, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, July 30, 2024 at the Central Nebraska Veteran's Home in Kearney at the age of 79. Funeral services will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Monday, August 12, 2024 at Zion Lutheran Church, west of Macon, with Rev. Marcia Dorn officiating. Interment will be held following the service at the Zion Lutheran Church Cemetery with military honors presented by the Hildreth Veterans of Foreign Wars and the United States Army Funeral Honors Team. Visitation will be held on Sunday, August 11, 2024 from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. at Craig Funeral Home – Jelden Chapel in Hildreth. Memorials in Art’s honor are kindly suggested to the Hildreth Volunteer Fire Department or to Zion Lutheran Church in Macon. Arrangements are under the care of Craig Funeral Home in Minden. Arthur, known to many as Art, was born on November 21, 1944, in rural Macon, Nebraska. He was the youngest of five children born to Anna Lee (Burris) and Ben (Boot) Fritson. Growing up on a farm in Macon, Art developed a love for baseball, which yielded many lifelong experiences and friendships. He was an especially talented pitcher, earning an invitation to Spring Training to try out for the Pittsburgh Pirates in Daytona Beach, Florida. Although he didn’t make the team, he returned home and continued his baseball career at Kearney State College. He remained active in the sport throughout his life as a coach and umpire and rarely missed an opportunity to watch a game on TV. On August 8, 1970, Art married the love of his life, Phoebe Y. Schauer, at a ceremony held in the Franklin County Hospital due to his mother’s illness. The couple was blessed with two sons, Lee and David, and built a life and home in Hildreth. Art and Phoebe celebrated 52 years of marriage together before Phoebe’s passing in January 2023. Art had a successful career in banking, working at several area institutions including the State Bank of Hildreth, Franklin State Bank, Nebraska State Bank in Wilcox, and First State Bank in Minden until his retirement in the early 2000s. Throughout his 30 years in banking, Art’s colleagues and clients respected him for his integrity, kindness, and dedication to service. A proud veteran, Art served his country with distinction in the United States Army during the Vietnam War and was stationed in Vietnam and later in Frankfurt, Germany, earning the Bronze Star and Army Commendation Medal for his bravery and service. Art was known for his warm heart and his unwavering commitment to doing the right thing. He modeled these values in everything that he did. Art lived his life with the highest integrity and deeply believed in service to others. His kindness and generosity touched the lives of many, and his legacy will be remembered by all who knew him. Art is preceded in death by his wife Phoebe; his parents, Boot and Anna Lee Fritson; and brothers, Bennie, Charles, and Lee Fritson. Those left behind to carry on his legacy are his sons, Lee (Michelle)Fritson of Kearney, and David (Stephanie) Fritson of Omaha; beloved grandchildren, Owen, Emersyn, and Lali; sister, Almeta Hooper of Norman Oklahoma; brothers-in-law, Rev. Fred (Donna) Schauer of Colorado Springs, CO, and Dan (Barb) Schauer of Franklin; as well as a host of extended relatives and close friends. He will be dearly missed by his family, friends, and all who had the privilege of knowing him. Tributes and memories can be shared with the family at www.craigfunerals.com.

Arthur "Art" H. Fritson

November 21, 1944 - July 30, 2024