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Fred Henry Kohman, age 79, passed away August 9, 2017 in Oklahoma City ten days shy of his 80th birthday.
Fred was preceded in death by his parents Ernest James Kohman and Eva (Fromm) Kohman and his brothers, Jim Kohman and Bill Kohman. He is survived by his son, Chuck Kohman, his wife Laurie and daughter, Beth Case. He has three grandchildren, Tessa and husband Robby Winters, Mason Case and Chloe Case and one great-grandson, Tread Winters.
Fred was born August 19, 1937 in Elmo, Kansas and attended school in Hope, Kansas where he graduated high school in 1955. Growing up on an expansive farm with extended family in close proximity provided Fred with a strong foundation for his life. While always wanting to be a farmer, Fred's parents insisted that he go to college, so he enrolled at Kansas State University, graduating in June of 1961 with Bachelor of Science Degree in Mechanical Engineering. At this point, Fred moved back home desiring to become a blacksmith. Again, his parents insisted that he use his engineering degree and that blacksmithing could become a hobby. As it was, Fred became a Licensed Professional Engineer in January of 1969, and his life long career in engineering began.
While at Kansas State University, Fred was a standout as a marksman. When he started at Kansas State, the only Rifle team was the ROTC team. Because he wasn't eligible to join the ROTC, the university changed the name of the team to the Kansas State Varsity (ROTC) Rifle team, so that they could have him on the team. Many awards and matches for the team were earned by Fred as he was named captain of the team. Fred also led the team on a 92 match winning streak. He was a lifetime member of the NRA.
On June 11, 1947, at the age of 10, a young "Freddy" was saved at the German Baptist Church that he attended. He was a man of faith his entire life, serving as a long-time member of the First Baptist Church of Perry, where he was ordained as a deacon in 1978. Fred served on the Building and Grounds Committee and the Falls Creek Cabin Committee for over 20 years as well as serving on various other committees.
As an engineer and problem-solver, Fred was a lifetime member of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers. His employment included working for Lane Wells and then The Charles Machine Works, where he worked for 30 years. Fred loved his work and had an incredibly creative mind. Some of Fred's designs are still used today, not only on the trenchers themselves, but the actual manufacturing of the machines. Also as an engineer, Fred gave back to the community. He designed the "Crow's Nest" at Daniels Field, served as a mentor for the Thunderstorm Robotics Team and most recently was part of the Gideons.
A celebration of Fred's life will be at 2:00 pm, Monday, August 14th, 2017 at the First Baptist Church in Perry, with pastor Kim Hays officiating.
Memorials can be made to the First Baptist Church Building Fund, in care of Trout Funeral Home of Perry, 1408 N. 7th St., Perry, OK 73077.
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