Robert F. Freitag
Sept. 4, 1923 - Feb. 10, 2006
ST. CLOUD -- Robert F. Freitag, 82, of St. Cloud died Friday at Sterling Park Care Center, Waite Park.
The service will be at 11 a.m. Thursday at St. John's Episcopal Church in St. Cloud. Burial will be in the church columbarium.
Visitation will be one hour prior to the service at the church. Arrangements are by Benson Funeral Home, St. Cloud.
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He was born Sept. 4, 1923, in Wabasso to Robert and Sophia (Tjie) Freitag.
He married Donna M. Paape on Dec. 31, 1943, in Redwood Falls. He was a truck driver for the rendering plant in Redwood Falls. In 1957 he worked as a psychiatric technician at the state hospital in Willmar. He moved to Jamestown, N.D., and worked as a chemical dependency counselor at the Jamestown Hospital from 1963 to 1965. He returned to Willmar to work at the state hospital, where he was instrumental in helping develop the "Minnesota Plan,'' a treatment plan now used nationwide to treat people with chemical dependency. They moved to Grand Forks, N.D., where he worked at the Referral Counseling Center, as well as lectured at the University of North Dakota to medical and nursing students. He worked as a counselor at the Mental Health Center from 1970 to 1984. From 1984 to 1989 he opened a private practice with his wife and was a public speaker on chemical dependency. In 1989 he worked independently through Psychotherapeutic Resources until he retired in 1993.
He was a member of St. John's Episcopal Church and a variety of professional boards.
He is survived by his wife of Big Lake; a daughter: Nancy Freitag of Big Lake, and a sister: Clarice Irene Perizzo of Redwood Falls.
He was preceded in death by one brother.
