Elfrieda, daughter of Frederick and Olga (Starck) Spies, was born August 19, 1902, at Arcadia, Iowa. As a young girl, she attended school at Ewoldt No. 7 "White Bear" Schoolhouse. The family lived near Gray and Lake City and then moved to their farm three miles northeast of Manning in 1913. Frieda was confirmed on March 24, 1918, at Zion Lutheran Church in Manning where she continued to be a member throughout her life. After her father's death, Frieda and her mother moved into Manning. She worked as a housekeeper and nanny for numerous families in the Manning area.

After the death of her mother, Frieda continued to reside in Manning and in 1981 she moved to the Terrace Apartments. She became a resident of Mallard View Care Facility in Carroll in 1984 when her health started to fail. In January of 1993 she was moved to the Manning Plaza where she died on Saturday, February 6, 1993, at the age of 90 years, 5 months, and 18 days.

Besides her parents she was preceded in death by a sister, Ella Hansen, and a brother, Alfred.

Survivors include her nephews: Russ Spies and his wife, Mildred, of Gray; Stanley Spies and his wife, Joleen, of Manilla; Kenneth Spies and his wife, Geri, of Manning; and Ralph Hansen and his wife, Marge, of Walnut; her nieces: Donna and her husband, Richard Zerwas, of Milford, Michigan and Helen and her husband, Robert Wendt, of Atlantic; and many great-nieces and nephews, as well as friends.