Richard "Dick" Edward Friedrichsen

Richard E. “Dick” Friedrichsen, age 91, of Holstein, passed away on Tuesday, November 17, 2020 at the Good Samaritan Society of Holstein.  A private family funeral service will be held at the Faith Lutheran Church of Holstein with the Rev. Scott L. Neumann officiating.  There will be a live stream of the funeral service on Saturday, November 21 at 2:00 P.M. A link will be provided at www.nicklasdjensenfh.com. Burial will be at the Holstein Cemetery of Holstein.  A visitation will be held on Friday, November 20, 2020 from 3:00 PM - 7:00 PM at the Nicklas D. Jensen Funeral Home of Holstein. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, the family will not be present at the visitation, and in accordance to the guidelines set for the state of Iowa, crowds will be limited to 15 people or less inside of the funeral home at a time, masks will be required, and social distancing will be practiced. 

Richard (Dick) Friedrichsen was born February 13, 1929, on a farm west of Holstein to Henry and Marie (Indorf) Friedrichsen – the same farm where his mother Marie was born. He was baptized on July 7, 1929, and confirmed into the Christian faith on June 21, 1942, both at St. Paul Lutheran Church.  He attended school in Holstein and graduated from Holstein High School in 1947.  He loved and excelled in all sports – football, basketball, and track.  His love of sports continued after graduation as he officiated basketball games for several years.  Dick started farming with his father following high school graduation.  

After watching his neighbor girl go by on her way to school, he asked her out for a date.  Following a year of courtship, Dick and Shirley Bergmann were married on September 6, 1953, at St. Paul Lutheran Church. They established their home on the family farm west of Holstein.  To this union four children were born:  Daniel, Brian, Cynthia, and Marilyn.  Dick continued to farm with his wife and four children by his side.  His love of the farm never diminished. 

In earlier years, Dick served as church Trustee and Elder.  He was a faithful and active member of Faith Lutheran Church. Dick also served as a bank director for Holstein State Bank/Heritage Bank for 35 years.  After retirement, Dick and Shirley continued to live on the family farm. In 2012, they moved into Holstein from the farm where Dick had lived for 83 years. Throughout his life, Dick loved to go to land sales and drive around to check the crops and livestock, but one of his greatest joys was attending his children’s and grandchildren’s activities, whether it was sporting events, music concerts, or dance recitals – he enjoyed them all. No matter where he was, waiting in a doctor’s office, in a store, sitting on bleachers or at any social gathering, he could strike up a conversation with anyone, take a genuine interest in them and make new friends.

Dick is survived by Shirley, his wife of 67 years; four children – Dan (Alice) Friedrichen, Brian (Deb) Friedrichsen, Cindy (Bob) Scherff, Marilyn (Lynn) Hurley; 12 grandchildren - Sara Friedrichsen, Stacy (Chris) Brown, Brett (Allisa) Friedrichsen, Joe Friedrichsen, Justin Scherff, Kristin (Adam) Henry, Brandon (Jenni) Scherff, Megan Scherff, Rachel (Andrew Paulson) Hurley, Laura Hurley, Luke (Katelyn) Hurley, Amy Hurley; 13 great-grandchildren - Hannah, Logan, and Austin Brown, Carli, Henry, Lane, and Colt Friedrichsen, Jackson, Grayson, and Kennedy Scherff, Owen and Emma Henry, Easton Scherff; brother – Cliff (Florence) Friedrichsen; in-laws – Ruth (Gary) Dorman, Alvin Hammer; and numerous nieces, nephews, and special friends.

Dick was preceded in death by his parents – Henry and Marie Friedrichsen; in-laws Theodore and Hattie Bergmann; brother and sisters – Bob (Lois) Friedrichsen, Pearl (Ervin) Henrichsen, Dorothy (Darwin) Thornhill; in-laws – Betty (Don) Voss, Phyllis Hammer.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Richard "Dick" Edward Friedrichsen, please visit our floral store.