Richard "Dick" Eichstadt, age 92, of Huron and formerly of Wolsey, died Friday, February 20, 2015, at the SunQuest Health Care Center. His funeral service was held at 10:30 AM on Thursday, February 26, at St. John's Lutheran Church in Wolsey, with Rev. L. Scott Spiehs, officiating. Burial was in the St. John's Lutheran Church Cemetery in Wolsey.
Richard William Eichstadt was born December 10, 1922, southwest of Wolsey in Wessington Township to Herman and Martha (Gogolin) Eichstadt. He attended first and second grade at Lutheran School, then grades three through eight at the Updike County School. Dick graduated from Wolsey High School in 1941. He worked in Huron delivering milk for 35 cents per hour. Dick later worked in Edgemont building forms for the igloos that housed ammunition at 96 cents per hour. Dick then returned to the Wolsey area and worked for farmers doing odd jobs. In 1943, Dick's father gave him a team of horses. Dick then rented a quarter of land and raised twenty-five bushels of oats and one hundred bushels of corn that year.
On April 11, 1943, Dick married Evelyn Scheibe. They bought a farm in 1946, and in 1956 rented the farm to move to Colorado. Once in Colorado, Dick worked as a sub-contractor building new homes in Security Village, just south of Colorado Springs, Colorado. In 1958, they moved back to their farm near Wolsey where they continued to farm until retirement. In 1981, they moved into the home he built on the north edge of Wolsey. Dick moved to the SunQuest Health Care Center in March 2007 where he resided until his death.
Dick was a lifelong member of St. John's Lutheran Church. He served as the clerk of the Wessington Township. Dick volunteered in his community, served on the Wolsey school board, and delivered Meals on Wheels. He enjoyed auctions and going to pawn shops. He also cherished having all of his family around.
He was preceded in death by his parents; his wife, Evelyn on January 14, 2005; five brothers, Dale, Mark, Martin, Fredrick, and Robert Eichstadt; one sister, Mary Alice in infancy; one grandson, Andrew; and one son-in-law, Trevor Tschetter.
Grateful for having shared in his life are his three children, Judith Tschetter of Huron, Steven (Diane) Eichstadt of Wolsey, and Tony (LuAnn) Eichstadt of Colorado Springs, Colorado; five grandchildren, Lisa (Jon) Meyer of Huron, Lori Messegee of Huron, Kristi (Regan) Glanzer of Huron, Adam (Rachel) Eichstadt of Dallas, Texas and Alexander (Andress) Eichstadt of England; nine great grandchildren, Tyler and McKenzie Meyer, Zachary and Blake Messegee, Alexis and Roxanne Glanzer, Joshua and Matthew Eichstadt and Ramsey Eichstadt. Dick is also survived by one sister, Dorothy Sibbers of Huron; two brothers, Paul (Kathryn) Eichstadt of Wolsey and Willis Eichstadt of Monmouth, Oregon; and four sisters-in-law, Delores Eichstadt of Wolsey, Caroline Eichstadt of Huron, Jane Eichstadt of Corpus Christi, Texas, and Cordula Scheibe of Huron.