Muhl, Frederick E.

Frederick E. Muhl

And God will lift you up on Eagle's wings, bear you on the breath of dawn, make you to shine like the sun and hold you in the palm of his hand.

That is where Fred, 93, has flown to be with his Blessed Maker this day Wednesday, April 6, 2011. He died peacefully at home after a short illness and he had family members with him. At Fred's request there will be no services held at this time. A private family service in Fort Dodge will be held at a later date.

Fred was born Aug. 1, 1917, in Fort Dodge, Iowa, the son of Nora and Louis Muhl, and graduated from the Fort Dodge High School.

It was love at first sight for Fred, at a very young age, watching a newsreel in the darkness of a Fort Dodge movie theater. He was overwhelmed by the flying scenes of a Pan American Boeing 314. He concentrated from then on for nothing but a flying career with his goal flying for Pan American Airways. He learned to fly at Eno Airport in Fort Dodge. He went to the University of Iowa and left after three years to attend ground school at Coe College in Cedar Rapids and then on to Drake University in Des Moines to continue his flying career, all in preparation for fulfilling his dream. He spent all spare time buying more flying time. He joined Civilian Pilot Training, completing his training with a commercial license and instrument rating. He then instructed U.S. Army Air Corps Cadets in Cuero, Texas for a short time. All this time writing many letters to Pan American, he finally got a call in 1941 and was offered a position as junior pilot. He readily accepted and was off to New York joining Pan Am in April 1942. Wartime promotions were coming fast and he was promoted to Reserve Captain on Nov. 1, 1943, and full captain on Feb. 6, 1944. He flew as captain for 34 years until airline mandatory retirement at age 60 forced him to retire. Fred loved every moment of his flying career and always said that he never worked a day in his life. “I flew for ‘Pan Am.'”

Fred said he accidentally met Helen Merryman, the love of his life, in September 1941 and was never the same since. Helen was also from Fort Dodge and they married Nov. (Friday) 13, 1942, and enjoyed 68 years of married bliss. From that union they produced three lovely daughters, Victoria, Martha and Jill. Since Pan American World Airways was an international airline, with many foreign bases, Fred, Helen, Vicki, Marti and Jill were able to travel and see much of the world. They lived in Bogota, Colombia, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Hong Kong and the longest assignment of 10 years in Berlin, Germany. A skiing trip to Kitzbuhel, Austria in 1953 became another love of the entire family and they never missed being there for 46 years until they gave up their place in 1999. They considered it a second home in the beautiful Austrian Alps.

Beside his skiing which he gave up at age 88, he enjoyed ice skating, and on his 89th birthday, he skated 89 laps with a friend at the Cedar Rapids ice skating rink, putting an end to his many years of ice skating.

Fred is survived by his wife, Helen; daughters, Marti Muhl, Los Angeles, and Jill Kobold, Bloomington, Minn.; granddaughter, Cassidy Anne Kobold, also from Bloomington; son-in-law, Dominic Sansoni, Castro Valley, Calif.; and many nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his loving daughter, Victoria Sansoni; his parents; and two brothers, Robert Muhl and Richard Muhl.