Frederick Bottger's Obituary
Frederick Lee Bottger was born in Carpenter S.D. on December 15, 1934. At age five the Bottger family traveled by freight train to the Chelan area where they lived their life.
Fred graduated from Chelan High School. After graduation he studied accounting before enlisting in the Air Force. He was initially stationed at Geiger Field, Spokane.
On September 3, 1955, he married Mae Petersen. In 1959 they were transferred to Madrid Spain for three years before being transferred to Mt. Home, Idaho where they lived for four years and bought their first house. He was transferred again to Abilene Texas where Fred attended flight engineering school. Thereafter, he was assigned to McChord Air Force base, where he finished a 24-year career with the USAF.
Being a flight engineer brought him great joy. He participated in several missions including Nixon’s historical trip to China and the Vietnam War. After retiring from the USAF as a Senior Master Sergeant, he worked the next 20 years for Denny’s in the maintenance department.
In retirement, Fred enjoyed meeting his fellow McChord crew members for lunch, traveling and his church. Fred loved the Seahawks, Mariners and WSU college football. His favorite travel destinations included Italy, Israel, Mexico and he always loved returning to his hometown Lake Chelan. Fred and Mae were married for 70 years. He was a long-time member of Lake City Community Church in Lakewood were served in many ministries.
Fred passed on August 31, 2025. He is survived by his wife Kahleen Mae, daughter Heide Lankeit and one grandchild. He is preceded in death by son Micheal J. Bottger, daughter Lisa K. Bottger and sister Lois Morse.
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