Freda A. Shelton

February 8, 1926 - January 29, 2022

Freda Alice (Woolard) Shelton was born February 8, 1926, in Neelyville, MO. She was the 4th child of Artie Rose and Thomas Washington Woolard, but the youngest of five siblings. Her siblings Opal Crossen, Ralph, Jeff and Frank Woolard preceded her in death. Freda was born into relative poverty. She finished school in 8th grade as her family could not afford to send her to High School, although she later completed her GED. She met her husband Willard (Fat) Shelton while working at a diner at a bus stop in Corning, Arkansas. They married on December 18, 1942, when she was 16. They welcomed their first child, Tom, the following December. During WWII Freda moved with her mother, while pregnant with Tom to work in Michigan. They lived there several years until the end of WWII when her husband Fat returned from Germany. They went on to have 3 more boys, John, Stan, and Bruce. While the boys were young Freda picked cotton to earn money for the family before they moved to St. Louis in 1956 where her husband had been hired at the GM plant. Once in St. Louis, Freda found at job at Bussmann Fuse where she worked for the next 25 years. In 1980 her husband of 37 years passed away from cancer. In St. Louis, Freda’s life became more economically comfortable, and she was afforded the time to help out with her favorite charities. She was active in the Women’s Missionary Society, volunteered at Meals and Wheels and was a proud member of West Side Baptist Church for over 50 years. Freda died at the age of 95 of natural causes on January 29, 2022. Freda is survived in death by four children: Tom (and Shirley) Shelton, John (and the late Gloria) Shelton, Stan (and Jackie) Shelton, and Bruce (and Pat) Shelton. She was the proud grandmother to eight grandchildren: Tracy and Dawn Shelton, Sean (Rachelle) Shelton and Shannon (Brian) Little, Jennifer (Alex) Martinez, Mindy (Derek) Darrow, Jim (Rachal) Bowling and Tony Shelton. She was known as GG to her many great grandchildren: Zach, Dacia, Paige, Cameron, Caden, Lydia, Iliana, Isaac, Harper, Piper, Patricia, Margaret, James, and Kayden. Visitation: Thursday, February 10, 09:30 am until time of service 11:00 am, same day, at Buchholz Valley of Flowers Mortuary, 619 St. Francois, Florissant, MO. Interment National Cemetery at Jefferson Barrack.