Sun Yong Frederickson

Sun Yong Frederickson,74, was born Yong Su Kim to Yong Kyu Kim and Ssi Ye Chang on March 8, 1938, in Seoul, South Korea.  

Celebration of Life Services was be held at 3 p.m. Tuesday, May 29, 2012, at the Bridgeway Assembly of God Church in Bonners Ferry, Idaho.

 Visitation for family and friends will be held Monday, May 29, 2012m from noon to close at Bonners Ferry Funeral Home.  

Interment will follow in the Grandview Cemetery, Bonners Ferry, Idaho.

She grew up in Seoul. She was the third of eight children and survived the Korean War as a young child. When the Korean War was over she was returning to Seoul with her mother, grandmother, younger sister and infant brother.

They had nearly reached their destination, exhausted but energized by the thought of returning home and reuniting with the rest of their family. They had just one more obstacle to overcome – a small river. They crossed the flat and reached the river with the hope that the man carrying his family across the river would help them too, but he was too tired and could not help them. He advised them to return to the river bank because the tide was rising and water would soon rush in to fill the entire riverbed.  

Sun Yong’s mother, tired and hopeless, then told them to sit down as this was the place that they would die today. Sun Yong did not agree.

She said, “Not me! Not Today!” and she took her sister’s hand, picked up her brother, and walked toward the river. They all made it across the river.

 That mindset stayed with her throughout her life; she always believed you could do anything you set your mind to and that if you were going to fail, you should fail trying to succeed.

Sun Yong would finally learn how to swim 30 years later.

Sun Yong married Victor Frederickson in 1972 and then immigrated to the United States. They lived in Illinois for about a year before moving to Bonners Ferry, where they raised their two children Virgil and Lisa.

She became a U.S. citizen, but that was not enough and she decided to attend high school in the United States. She began classes in 1980 and she graduated from Bonners Ferry High School in 1984.

Like many mothers, Sun Yong wore many hats, but her most beloved role was taking care of her family and friends.

She could often be found visiting her family or friends or simply talking with them on the phone. She never wanted to spend money on herself, but she would never hesitate to buy a gift for someone else.

Sun Yong lived her life by the first and second greatest commandments: she loved the Lord her God with all her heart and all her soul and all her mind and all her strength, and she loved her neighbor as herself.

Sun Yong was called home by God on May 18, 2012, while on a family vacation in Alaska.

Sun Yong is survived by her husband, Victor Frederickson of Naples; son Virgil (RaShell) Frederickson of Talkeetna, Alaska; daughter Lisa Frederickson of Spanaway, Wash.; grandsons Ryan and Bradley Frederickson of Talkeetna, Alaska; her sister, Kil Sun Lee of Mill Creek, Wash.; her three brothers Ul Su and Hang Su Kim of Seattle, Wash., and Song Su Kim of Seoul, South Korea; cousins, nephews and nieces.

Family and friends are invited to sign Sun Yong’s book at www.bonnersferryfuneralhome.com  Arrangements are entrusted to the care of Bonners Ferry Funeral Home.