Veronica Mary Margaret Michael Frierdich, 89, known to many as “Mickey” died peacefully at home on Jan. 16, 2023, after battling lung cancer for over 10 years. Natural treatments kept it at bay from 2013 until the last few weeks. She fought a valiant fight.

Veronica was born on Sept. 1, 1933, to John and Agatha (Edna) nee Steppig  Michael in Maplewood. She attended Dupo High School and in her senior year married Ronald Russell Frierdich on Feb. 3, 1951. They settled in Cahokia and raised six children: Pamela Staley, Karen Gleich, Donna Brooks, Ron Jr., Steven and Michelle Dobbels. They were blessed with 12 grandchildren, 21 great-grandchildren and two great-great grandchildren. She was a loving and supportive mother and grandmother and a dedicated wife of almost 72 years.

Veronica never knew a stranger and was always making new friends and ‘adopting’ young people. Everyone loved her. She especially enjoyed visiting those in nursing homes and kept them well entertained. She shared her faith in the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and her love for the biblical Feast Days and the walking in the way of her Messiah, Jesus. Her love of all things ‘natural’ included being a distributor for “Young Living” for over 20 years. 

Those who knew her thought she would live forever due to her insistence on eating as organic as possible, never going to the doctor and treating everything with one of her essential oils.

Her family will greatly miss her crazy antics and upbeat high-energy way of living life.

There will never be another “Mickey.”

A  celebration  of life will be held 1-5 p.m. Feb. 11 at The Beacon, 718 N. Market Street, Waterloo.