Frederick "Fred" Dennis Bartel

We are all stories—the stories we tell ourselves and the stories that others carry about us. During the long vigil for my Dad, we had time for many stories. Only two years after his diagnosis of Parkinson’s and a hard-fought battle with the disease, Fred Bartel passed away peacefully just before midnight on August 5, 2026.

After college, Fred and his wife, Susan, spent three years in Lesotho doing relief work with the Mennonite Central Committee, an experience he remembered often and fondly. While there, he worked with the Ministry of Agriculture's Fisheries Department to establish fisheries in several villages. His first child was born just before his term ended. After their return to the States, Fred took a position in Mississippi where he managed ponds for Farm Fresh Catfish Company. His second child was born in Mississippi. The family returned home to Newton, Kansas in 1986, where he worked for his father-in-law, Marvin Wedel, eventually taking over the company when Mr. Wedel retired. Bartel Construction continued for nearly twenty years, supported by the dedication of two loyal employees, Mike and Elmer.

Outside of work, Fred has enjoyed singing in a barbershop chorus, spending time on the front porch with neighbors and dear friends, having weekly coffee and pie with his father and another close friend, birdwatching, and nature photography. He also served on the North Newton City Council, the Board of Trustees at Bethel College Mennonite Church, was a member of the Harvey County Builders Association, and assisted with various volunteer projects over the years, including a basement remodel with Harvey County Builders and Dream Factory, and several months at the Goessel Cabinet Shop, building cabinets for Mennonite Disaster Service, until his mobility issues prevented his participation.

One of my favorite stories is of him scrambling through the woods to catch sight of a bird unusual to the area. Fred loved being outdoors and observing the world around him. Whether birds, brilliant fall leaves, sunsets, campfires, textures, or landscapes, he had a keen eye and deep appreciation for the beauty of the natural world. He found joy in capturing that beauty through photography.

Fred also had an extensive vocabulary, a trait that has found its way to his grandsons, so I’ll end with his rare virtue of Eutrapelia, defined by Aristotle as a gracious, well-timed playfulness, something he will be well remembered for by many.

He is survived by his wife of 53 years, Susan; his son, Justin Bartel; his daughter, Amanda (Bartel) Perez; his grandsons, Kaleb, Ryan, Zachary, and Jackson; and his sisters, Natalie (Bartel) Hand and Judith Bartel.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Harold and Louise (Goertz) Bartel.

A memorial service is scheduled for August 21 at 3 pm in Kidron Hall at Kidron Bethel Village, 3001 Ivy Dr., North Newton, KS.

The family would like to extend their gratitude to Kidron Bethel for their care over the last year. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to them at https://kidronbethel.org/giving, the Michael J. Fox Foundation at https://give.michaeljfox.org/donate, Orbis.org at https://www.orbis.org/en, or the Kansas Wildscape Foundation at https://kansaswildscape.org/#donate.