|
| |
Andrew Irvin Deterding © Enid News and Eagle 06-08-2018 Submitted by: Glenn
|
November 30, 1960 - May 30, 2018 Andy Deterding. Servant of God, husband, father, grandfather, son, brother, uncle, friend, pilot of the skies, angel on Earth and now in Heaven. Andy was the light of our lives and the center of our universe. He lived a life full to the brim with love, laughter, and smiles. Andy lived his values. The things he valued most were God, his family, his community, and always doing what was right. Andy's life was a reflection of his values, of his faith, of what he believed in and that is extremely rare in this world. Andy was very special in that way. Andy was a giver; whether it was time, a kind word, a helping hand, a friendly smile, or money. He gave freely and selflessly to others without expecting anything in return. Andy always put his faith in God and looked and was able to find the best in everyone. When he found the good in someone, he knew exactly how to draw it out of them. His smile penetrated your soul, his light and love and goodness beamed from him, and anyone who met him was better for having done so. He never worried about the bad in the world and always believed that the good in people would win out. When anyone worried about something getting stolen he would say with a smile, "well if they take it I guess they needed it more than us." He was generous even to those who may do him wrong. That was his way. A part of kindness consists of loving people more than they deserve, and Andy was as kind as they come.
In the end, in this Earthly life all that matters is love. How you love others, how you love God, how you love yourself. Andy lived every second of his life with love; all he did was love. Love expressed is never lost, and for that reason Andy will live on in our hearts because of his fierce and vivid expression of love to every person he met, whether you knew him for a minute or for a lifetime. Andy was emotionally present and secure, and shared his feelings with those he loved openly and honestly. Anyone who knew Andy knew how he felt about them because he was never bashful about saying "I love you" or "thank you." When you left him, you left feeling better and you left feeling happy. You couldn't help it. Andy never took himself too seriously and he made it easy to be yourself around him. He made everyone feel welcome and he made everyone feel like family. And he always, always made you laugh.
Andy loved everyone like it was his last day, and he treated everyone like it was the only day. Andy often told those that he loved that if the Lord called him home he would have no regrets. He gave all of his love, all of his heart, all of his time. Andy married the love of his life, his best friend, and the wind beneath his wings. He respected Sue for the loving, caring family that they raised together, for always doing what was right, and for always being there for him and their family. Andy loved his "Sweety" with all of his heart. He signed everything he wrote to Sue " Love Always," and he lived true to that. Andy and Sue were married for 38 wonderful years, together for 41, and raised 3 children, Greg, Nikki, and Tommy, of whom Andy could not have been more proud. Andy and Sue also got a 4th "bonus child," Chet, in 2012 when Andy took Chet under his wing and cared for him like a son. Andy's love knew no bounds.
Andy and Sue grew up together; went to high school together at Revere High School in Ovid, CO; and started dating when Andy was a sophomore and Sue was a junior. The two were inseparable ever since. In high school, they worked on Andy's Mach 1 Mustang and Sue used her allowance and wages to help Andy fix his car so they could go racing together. They started a house painting business together while Andy was still in high school, and Andy began crop dusting for his father Louie in 1982. In 1986, they started their own crop dusting business, Andy Deterding Ag Aviation. Over the years they grew their business from North Dakota to Oklahoma, Kansas, and Oregon. Andy was an expert pilot and he loved what he did. He was a fixture in the communities that he and Sue operated and he loved the people that lived in them. People would look forward to the time of year when Andy would show up and greet them with a giant bear hug as if he never left.
When Andy wasn't flying, building something, or fixing something, he was spending time with his kids. Andy loved doing anything and everything for and with his kids and nothing was impossible or too big of an ask. He always said, "We'll make it work." And he did. Andy loved go-kart racing with Greg, Nikki, and Tommy when the kids were younger; stock car racing with Greg more recently; coaching all their youth sports teams; and sponsoring any activity that they and their cousins wanted to participate in. Andy was always there to help Greg with his pig business in high school; he always cheered the loudest at Nikki's basketball games; and even suited up to practice with Tommy's football team when Tommy needed an extra challenge.
God and family were Andy's entire life. Andy was so incredibly proud of his children. He told Greg how proud he was of the loving, caring father that Greg has become to Andy's grandsons, Trayson and Hudson, and that Greg was always his right-hand man. He told Nikki how proud he was of her ambition, drive, and intelligence and would tell anyone who would listen about his daughter the lawyer. He told Tommy how proud he was of Tommy's accomplishments in sports, the way Tommy stepped up in the family business, and the man he has become. He told Chet how proud he was of Chet's work ethic and the loving, caring father that Chet has become to Andy's granddaughters Tessa and Amberlee. Andy loved spending time with his grandkids and loved being a part of their lives. Andy was a big kid himself and spent all his energy playing with Trayson, Hudson, Tessa, and Amberlee. He loved to hear their stories, make them laugh, and cheer them on. He treasured the time that he was able to spend with them and his love for them is eternal, as he is now, with God.
Andy was an active member of his church and the communities he was a part of. Some of Andy's contributions to his communities included being an Elder at St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Enid, OK; a regular sponsor of the Christian radio station KLVV and The House FM; the Former President of the Oklahoma Agricultural Aviation Association; an honorary member of Future Farmers of America; a sponsor of Grant County, OK and Foster County, ND FFA, 4-H, and rodeo kids; a sponsor of Grant County and Foster County high school sports with radio ads and t-shirt tosses at games; and a sponsor of the Carrington, ND Beauty Pageant. Andy's love is so clearly alive and present in those he loved that remain on this Earth. He was such a beautiful influence on us all and was an amazing gift from God. We are comforted by the knowledge that Andy knew and loved Jesus Christ and that love was self-evident in every day that Andy lived. He gave his life to God and he gave his life to his family. He has gone home to be with our Heavenly Father and we look forward to the day when we are called Home to be united with him and God for eternity. As Andy would say, God must have needed him more than we do. Andy will be watching over all of us as God's co-pilot, soaring through Heavenly skies without the constraints of this Earth.
Andrew ("Andy") Irvin Deterding was born to Everett Louis ("Louie") and Wilma Carlene (Rickert) Deterding on November 30, 1960 in Belleville, IL. He grew up in Sedgwick, CO. Andy married Sue Ann (Berges) Deterding on April 26, 1980. He and Sue gave birth to Gregory Andrew Deterding on April 12, 1985; Nicole Aaren Deterding on January 29, 1988; and Thomas Adam Deterding on May 23, 1990. Andy gained a daughter-in-law on September 5, 2009 when Greg married Cortney Raythell (Florence) Deterding. Greg and Cortney first made Andy a grandpa on August 14, 2008 when they gave birth to their first son, Trayson Andrew Deterding. Andy and Sue gained a "bonus child" in Chet Ryan Fleischmann when Chet came to live and work in Pond Creek for Andy in the summer of 2012. Andy gained a bonus daughter-in-law when Jennifer Parker ("Parker") moved to Pond Creek with Chet in 2013. Andy became a grandpa to his second grandson on January 25, 2013 when Greg and Cortney gave birth to their second son, Hudson Cole Deterding. Andy became a grandpa to his first granddaughter on February 7, 2013, when Chet and Parker gave birth to their first daughter, Tessa Ryan Fleischmann. Andy gained another daughter-in-law on April 11, 2015 when Tommy married Laura Dawn (Cokeley) Deterding. Andy became a grandpa to his second granddaughter on November 16, 2015, when Chet and Parker gave birth to their second daughter, Amberlee Rae Fleischmann.
Andy, 57, was called home to be with his Heavenly Father on May 30, 2018. Andy was preceded in death by both sets of grandparents; his mother and father Louie and Wilma Deterding; and his infant brother Deterding.
His love lives on in his wife Sue Deterding; his son Greg Deterding and daughter-in-law Cortney and his grandsons Trayson and Hudson; his daughter Nicole Deterding; his son Tommy Deterding and daughter-in-law Laura; his bonus son Chet Fleischmann and bonus daughter-in-law Parker and his granddaughters Tessa and Amberlee; sister Janet Kaiser (Paul); sister Peggy Patocka; brother Jim (Jeanine); brother Kenny (Paula); brother Chuck (Sarah); sister Anne Mattley (Mark); sister Mary Bond (Jamie); brother Neil (Danielle); sister Amy Kulak (Todd); numerous nieces and nephews; and numerous great nieces and nephews. Andy loved always. Andy will be loved, always.
There will be a visitation 7-8:00 p.m. Friday, June 8, 2018, at Wilson Funeral Home, Pond Creek. Funeral services will be 10:00 a.m. Saturday June 9, 2018 at St. Paul Lutheran Church, Enid, OK, with Pastor Kenneth Wade officiating. Interment will follow in Pond Creek Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, Memorials may be made to the Andy Deterding Memorial Scholarship Fund c/o Wilson Funeral Home P.O. Box 478 Pond Creek, OK 73766.
|Pond Creek Cemetery Page| |Grant County Cemetery Page| |Home|
This site may be freely linked, but not duplicated in any way without consent.
All rights reserved! Commercial use of material within this site is prohibited!
© 2000-2024 Oklahoma CemeteriesThe information on this site is provided free for the purpose of researching your genealogy. This material may be freely used by non-commercial entities, for your own research, as long as this message remains on all copied material. The information contained in this site may not be copied to any other site without written "snail-mail" permission. If you wish to have a copy of a donor's material, you must have their permission. All information found on these pages is under copyright of Oklahoma Cemeteries. This is to protect any and all information donated. The original submitter or source of the information will retain their copyright. Unless otherwise stated, any donated material is given to Oklahoma Cemeteries to make it available online. This material will always be available at no cost, it will always remain free to the researcher.