Kiehl, Frederick D. 1950-2026 Maysville, Mo.
MAYSVILLE, Mo. – Frederick David Kiehl (Fred, or “Doc” to many), my dad, was given the gift of life on May 18, 1950, at University Hospital, in Columbia, Missouri, by Dr. Elmer and Helen Kiehl, both of whom preceded him in death, and he made the very most of that gift for the next 75 years.
In his youth an old photo betrays the fact that he actually met my mom, Sharon, when she attended his fifth, perhaps sixth, birthday party. Some time after that fateful day he was a proud founding member of The Society of the Preservation of the Foot-Pound, a Boy Scout with a lifelong love of trees and nature, and, of course, Dean Kiehl’s son. After graduating University High School in Columbia in 1968 he attended the University of Missouri, Columbia. He then properly met my mom at college and they became husband and wife, at the ripe young age of 19, something neither of them would ever recommend. But they lasted, through it all.
After receiving a BA in Zoology from MU he graduated from Kansas City College of Osteopathic Medicine, now Kansas City University – College of Osteopathic Medicine, and found his calling by God, to be a physician where there weren’t doctors. Med school included time at Lakeside Hospital, Osteopathic Hospital and Golden Valley, followed by Clinton, for Rural Clinic, then off to St. Joseph’s in South Bend, Indiana, for internship. This calling is how he came to serve the communities of Maysville and Cameron, Missouri, starting in 1978.
Before we get too far ahead of ourselves, Fred became Dad first in 1974 with the birth of my sister, Elisa Emilie Helen Kiehl, then again in 1976 with my arrival, Frederick David Kiehl II. Besides being a devoted family man, throughout his very full life here on earth he was a photographer, traveller, amateur etymologist, handyman, woodworker, nature lover, wearer of “unique” ties, storyteller, reader of “interesting articles,” lover of humanity, man of integrity, courage of his convictions, service and deep faith.
Shortly after settling in Maysville, Dad and Mom joined Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in Cameron. There he couldn’t help but thrive and become a leader, first as an elder and then as president of the congregation for multiple decades. In the infancy of his medical practice the clinic in Maysville was a National Health Service Corps site, which he then purchased the practice from that governing board in 1982 and renamed it as Dekalb County Health Services, but still continuing as a NHSC Rural Health Clinic site. He then sold the clinic to Cameron Regional Medical Center in 2016 when the paperwork of medicine got too overwhelming. He just wanted to be a doctor, not an accountant. Regionally he also worked at Methodist (Heartland West) Hospital in St. Joseph until its closure, then Heartland East until the mid 2010’s. He was a 40+ year veteran of Cameron Community Hospital, now Cameron Regional Medical Center through October of 2025, where he also spent decades as an ER physician. He lent his unique healing touch to Comfort Care Hospice from its inception til 2012. Dad also cared, in his gentle way as Medical Director of Sunset Nursing Home (1978-2025), Staff Physician at Quail Run (formerly Indian Hills), and Cameron Nursing Center (formerly Cameron Manor). And with all of that spare time he also, very proudly but not pridefully, served as the medical director of the Missouri Veteran’s Home in Cameron from 2002, taking care of “his guys,” until he finally had to take care of himself in December of 2025. While practicing medicine and his faith at home, he also heard the call of service to combine many loves and utilize his ample skills abroad to multiple medical mission trips to the Dominican Republic, with Christian Medical and Dental Association, and to teach in a hospital in the formerly war ravaged country of Kosovo.
Like I said at the beginning, he made the very most of his gift of life. He was curious about everything and accepting of every person, since everyone was a prospective friend. He never met a stranger anywhere in the world, even if he didn’t share a common language. That wouldn’t stop him from making a friend. He always chose to believe the very best about his fellow human and truly believed in the teachings of Jesus, especially those of love and tolerance. With that wonderful gift of life my father, my dad, made a difference in the world. Let us all try our very best to follow in his footsteps and truly love your neighbor as yourself and truly love the earth that has been created for us. Plant a tree somewhere and do your very best to find the ineffable mystery and beauty in your fellow human.
On January 23, 2026, my dad had to give that precious gift of life back to his Creator and entered eternal life. He has shuffled off this mortal coil and joined the choir invisible. His spirit is carried on by relatives and friends too numerous to list, but never forgotten.
He is survived by our mom, Sharon; his daughter, Elisa Vinyard and her husband Tom; along with their two “tremendous” children Emilie and Alexander.
Friends and strangers he’d love to have met can attend the Visitation on Friday, Feb. 6, 2026, at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church, located at 209 Little Brick Rd. Cameron, MO 64429 from 6 to 8 p.m. The funeral service will be at the same location the following day, Feb. 7, beginning at 2 p.m. While I will be in a suit, because he would think that proper, but dress however you’d like as my dad accepted everyone just as they came.
Memorial contributions: Cameron Veteran’s Home Assistance League, CRMC Hospital Employee Assistance Fund, or Elmer Kiehl Scholarship.
Funeral Services are entrusted to Turner Family Funeral Home of Maysville, Missouri.
Online condolences: www.turnerfamilyfuneral.com. As published in the St. Joseph News-Press.
