Ed G Feiock

Ed Alco Ed Feiock 71 of La Crescent, MN passed away on Monday, February 13th at his home.Ed was born on December 13, 1940, in Clifton Springs, New York to Emmett and Marion Calus and raised by his grandmother, Grace McDougall, until he was 10 years old, at which time he was adopted by his stepfather, Kenneth Feiock and his name was changed from Calus to Feiock.Ed graduated from Lyons Central High School, Lyons, New York, in 1958 and enlisted in the United States Air Force where he served as an emergency room technician at the 2793thrdth USAF Hospital at McClellan Air Force Base in Sacramento California from 1959-1962 and then returned to Lyons, New York, where he farmed from 1962-1969. He then bred cows for Eastern Artificial Inseminators out of Ithaca, New York, from 1969-1974 then switched to the insurance field, first with IDS, Rochester, New York from 1974-1977 and then with Beaumont and Stork Insurance Agency, Penn Yan, New York from, 1977-1979. The love of the farm lead him back to Eastern Artificial Inseminators and onto the Midwest where he sold to farmers that bred their own cows in Wisconsin, Iowa and Minnesota from 1979-1985. When Eastern moved the company out of the Midwest he returned to the insurance field, working for Freisinger Insurance Group from 1985 to his retirement in 2009.Ed was an avid model railroader and affectionately known to his railroad friends as Alco Ed, named for his love of the Alco railroad locomotives. He spent many wonderful hours in the basement enjoying the railroad layout that he designed and built. He also helped form the Bluffs and Rivers Division of the National Model Railroaders Association, of which he was president from 1978-1980, and was a member of both the Chicago and Northwestern Railroad and Great Northern Railroad Societies. It was through the love of the railroad hobby that he and his wife, Phyllis met so many wonderful people, which became very special friends. When not in the basement with the railroad, Ed could be found in the backyard enjoying the pond that he designed and built and the gardens that he and his wife loved. Of course, he also found great pleasure trying to outsmart the squirrels and the laughter that came when he actually did.Ed so enjoyed helping other people and following his retirement he became a proud member of the Mayo Clinic Health Care Volunteer Services program where he spent his Wednesdays as a transporter, a day he truly enjoyed each week. It was with deep regret that he had to give up his volunteering when he was diagnosed with cancer but he had wonderful memories of the people in the Occupational and Physical Therapy departments that he worked with.Ed is survived by his wife Phyllis of 33 years, daughters Michelle (Mark) White of Van Wert, Ohio; Susan (Ken) Gabehart of Dunbar, West Virginia; Michelle (Joe) Austin of Duluth, Minnesota, and son Jeffrey (Venice) Eldred of Lakemoor, Illinois; grandchildren Claire and Nick White, Ben and Sam Gabehart and Tony and Mya Austin; half brother Craig (Lois) Feiock, Lyons, New York; cousins Barb (Vern) Krebbeck, Newark, New York and Nancy McDougall, Sodus Point, New York.Ed was preceded in death by his parents, step-father and is now with his son Michael, who passed away in 2008.A very special thank you to all the staff at Mayo Clinic Health Care Oncology and Hospice departments for their kindness and compassion as Ed traveled on his journey.A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10:30 A.M. on Friday, February 17, 2012 at St. Peters Catholic Church, Hokah, MN. Rev. Joseph Pete will officiate. Burial with military rites by the Gittens Leidel American Legion Post 595 will be in the Prospect Hill Cemetery, La Crescent. Friends may call at the Schumacher Kish Funeral Home of La Crescent on Thursday evening from 5 until 7 P.M. and again at the church on Friday from 9:30 A.M. until the time of services.In lieu of flowers memorials may be made to the Mayo Clinic Health System Volunteer Services or St. Peters Catholic Church, Hokah, MN.