Frederick Mueller

Frederick “Fred” Mueller, age 76, passed away peacefully on Saturday, March 14, 2026 after a long courageous battle with cancer. His Mass of Christian Burial will be on Thursday, March 26, 2026 at 10:30 a.m. at St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church in Brooklyn Park, MN. Burial will be at the parish cemetery. A visitation will be held at 9:30 a.m. prior to the service.

Fred was born on January 7, 1950 in Paynesville, Minnesota, the son of Aloys M. and Mary Magdelena (Illies) Mueller. He was baptized and confirmed at St. Anthony Catholic Church in Regal. He grew up on the family farm near Regal where he attended grade school. He graduated from Paynesville High School in 1968. Fred joined the U.S. Army in 1969 and served as a Specialist 4 stationed in Europe until 1972 and then served in the Army Reserves until 1975.

He married the love of his life, Cecilia Schmitz, on August 10, 1974 at St. Anthony Catholic Church in Regal. They were blessed with a son and two daughters. Fred continued his education at Willmar Technical College and received a Certificate in Machining. He worked at Owatonna Tool Company for 3 years before moving with his family to the twin cities.

Fred spent the next 28 years working for FMC and Kurt Manufacturing as a machinist. He retired from machining and returned to school to receive his CDL and was an over the road truck driver until his full retirement.

He enjoyed the outdoors and taking his children and grandchildren hunting, fishing, and exploring nature. He loved playing cards, board games, doing puzzles, and baking treats, including making his famous oatmeal raisin cookies and lemon meringue pie from scratch.

Family meant everything to Fred and he enjoyed sharing family history and his experiences with his children and grandchildren. He made people laugh with his witty sense of humor and was a wealth of knowledge. He had a kind heart and was always willing to help others in need.

Fred is survived by his wife of 51 years, Cecilia; his children Eric (Andrea) Mueller, Marcia (Jose) Velez, Julie (Roselveth) Guzman; 6 grandchildren; and his brother Butch (Bev) Mueller. He is preceded in death by his parents, his sister Barbara Mueller; and two grandchildren.