John Fredrick "Fred" Case

Case, John Fredrick "Fred"
Many lost a dear friend with the death of John "Fred" Case, 77, Minneapolis, who passed away on March 17, 2023. Fred's eventful life in many ways typified the "wild child" of the Sixties and Seventies. Born in 1945, he grew up in Mounds View, Minn. With a history of juvenile delinquency worthy of a B-movie script, young Fred's brushes with the law were frequent. Drafted into the Army in 1965, his rebelliousness led to an early discharge. Fred's Kerouacian wanderlust led him to a stint painting water towers across the Midwest. Reestablishing his roots at the epicenter of Minneapolis' Sixties counterculture, the hippie-dense West Bank neighborhood, he was the occupant/curator of the legendary "Sign House" - a ramshackle residence so bedecked with vintage metal advertising signs and old cars that it was often mistaken for a fleabag hotel or gas station. Here Fred indulged his driving passions: barely checked hedonism, collecting castoff cultural artifacts, and photography. A serious music fan with a camera, he photographed bands like the Rolling Stones and the Grateful Dead in their prime. This would result in a book of photos and stories, "When The Stones Came To Town" published in 2020 by the Minnesota Historical Society Press. By 1980 a court judge "encouraged" Fred's permanent turn to sobriety, leading to a career as an auto mechanic, a path in tune with his lifelong love of motorcycles and classic automobiles. To the end he loved traveling, attending rock music events, eating well and sporting vintage attire. He never stopped collecting - vinyl records, vintage toys, metal signs, rock posters, you name it. Also collected were friends. Everywhere he went, Fred's jovial nature, infectious sense of humor, and boundless font of fascinating stories drew people to him. Fred Case was a free spirit who lived his life to the fullest. His family - and the hundreds of friends he made his family - will miss him greatly. A joyous Celebration of Life will be held later this Spring.
In lieu of flowers, collections are being taken for a bench in memory of Fred to be placed at the Minnesota State Fair. A Go Fund Me page is being set up.