On September 13, 2023, Freida Marie States of Logan, KS, passed away at the age of 96. Freida was born in 1927 on the family farm located northwest of Logan, KS, the daughter of Richard A. Hofaker and Jenny (Mulder) Hofaker. Having grown up on a family farm, Freida learned at an early age the importance of hard work and dedication. She often recalled how she would have to get up at 5:00 a.m. every morning to help her father milk the 12 or so cows before walking the two and one-half miles to school.
Freida’s elementary school years were spent attending both Palmer and North Star, one-room schoolhouses located north of Logan. During her high school years, Freida attended three years at Logan High School. Freida had known from an early age that she wanted to be a teacher, and since Logan did not offer the training course for teaching, it was necessary for her to transfer for her senior year to Phillipsburg High School where they offered such a course. In 1942, at the age of 15, Freida graduated from Phillipsburg High School and earned her teaching certificate. Approximately three months after graduating from high school and turning 16 years old, Freida started teaching at the Crossroads one-room schoolhouse located south of Logan, teaching first, second, fourth and sixth grades. She then taught third and fourth grades at Glade Grade School and taught first grade at Phillipsburg Grade School. In 1950, she started teaching first grade at Logan Elementary School. While teaching first grade, Freida went on to receive her Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees in education from Fort Hays State University. Freida retired from teaching in 1995 after 47 ½ years of teaching.
In 1946, Freida married Arnold States. They were married for 53 years until Arnold’s passing in 1999. They had one child, son Larry States.
In 1971, Freida was selected as a Leader of American Elementary Education, a national honor. She was also selected to be in Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers in 1994 after being nominated by her former students as the teacher that had helped shape their values and had challenged them to strive for excellence. On June 5, 1993, Freida was inducted into the Kansas Teachers Hall of Fame. This was one of Freida’s greatest achievements, but she was very humble about such recognition, stating, “This achievement could not have been possible without the cooperative efforts of many people. . . I deem it a privilege to be a teacher in our community.”
Having taught three generations of students, nothing made Freida happier than getting to talk to her prior students and getting to find out what was going on in their lives. It often seemed that Freida knew everybody and everybody’s children and grandchildren. She could regularly be found sitting in those short, little, first-grade chairs in her classroom, teaching, listening and helping children. Students described “Mrs. States” as a caring, dedicated teacher who made everyone feel special. She always went the extra mile to ensure that all students were learning and taught that we must be kind to others and always treat others with respect. Students also remember going to the first-grade classroom each Halloween to roast marshmallows with Mrs. States and stopping by her and Arnold’s house to get the best Halloween candy.
Besides teaching, Freida enjoyed traveling with her husband Arnold and cherished the time she got to spend with her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Freida was never one to forget a birthday, always sending a card to mark a special occasion or a note to let you know she was thinking of you. She also enjoyed attending and cheering on all her different family members during sporting events and musical performances; always ready with words of cheer when things went well and with words of encouragement when things didn’t go as planned.
Freida was a member of Delta Kappa Gamma, a professional association for women educators, Eastern Star for more than 50 years, serving as a Worthy Matron, District Aid and Chapter Secretary, and the Kansas Business and Professional Women (BPW) organization. She was a life member of the American Legion Auxiliary, served as a den mother for cub scouts and was an active member of the First Christian Church in Logan, Kansas, serving as a Sunday school and vacation Bible school teacher.
Freida liked homemade ice cream, pizza, family gatherings, crossword puzzles, talking with family and friends on the telephone, and the KU Jayhawks. We will forever be grateful for her presence in our lives. She made the world a better place.
Freida is preceded in death by her husband Arnold, sister Gladys Archer, brother-in-law Leonard Archer, sister Esther Carver, brother-in-law Loyd Carver, and her parents Richard A. Hofaker and Jennie (Mulder) Hofaker.
Freida is survived by her son Larry States, granddaughter Kari States, grandson Scott States and his wife Betsy States, great grandsons Nickolas and Jacob States, great granddaughter Breanna States, great-great granddaughter Angelica Reeb; and brother Richard D. Hofaker and his wife Doris Hofaker.
Funeral services will be at 2:00 p.m. Monday, September 18, 2023 in the Logan Christian Church in Logan, KS with Pastor Troy Buss officiating. The services will be streamed live on the Olliff-Boeve Memorial Chapel Facebook page. Burial will follow in the Pleasant View Cemetery, Logan, KS.
Mrs. States will lie in state from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday and again Sunday from noon until 9 p.m.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Freida M. States Scholarship for Logan High School Graduates or the Logan Christian Church.
Logan Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
