Richard Franzen

Richard Allen Franzen, age 66 of Charles City, formerly of Lawler, IA, died Wednesday, October 6, 2021, at St. Luke's Hospital in Cedar Rapids. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, October 12, 2021, at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church in Lawler, IA with Rev. Nick Radloff celebrating the Mass. Interment will follow at the church cemetery with Dennis Franzen, Curt Franzen, Ron Franzen, and Dustin Franzen serving as pallbearers. Friends may greet the family from 4:00 - 7:00 p.m. on Monday, October 11, 2021, at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church in Lawler where there will be a 7:00 p.m. parish scripture service. Visitation continues an hour prior to the service on Tuesday at the church. Hugeback-Johnson Funeral Home & Crematory has been entrusted with Richard's arrangements. Richard was born on Jan. 27, 1955, to Cletus and Delores (Berst) Franzen and grew up on a farm southeast of Lawler, working with his parents, his four brothers and one sister where he developed a real love for farming and had many fond memories of his time there. He attended Turkey Valley High School and was a member of the Class of 1973 before attending what was then called Area 1 Community College (today’s Northeast Iowa Community College) and obtaining a degree in implement mechanics. Richard worked for Murphy and Eisle, Case IH in New Hampton, Easterly Implement in Colwell and Davis Farm & Auto before retiring five years ago due to health reasons. He began his career as a mechanic and was a very talented and skilled parts manager. He was the father of three children — Joel, Jamie, and Justin — and they remember Dad as a hardworking, yet fun-loving guy. Richard loved to stay busy and he ran his own small-engine repair shop out of his garage, fixing lawnmowers, snowblowers, and other machinery. They also have great memories of their dad taking them with him on Friday nights to his parents, where they’d have a ball playing cards and just hanging out together and enjoyed the many camping trips they took. They also remember the little things that made their dad special. He always called his mother “Ma,” and he always made sure, no matter how busy he was, that he supported his kids when it came to their activities and programs at school. Richard always had a smile, and he was a definate people person. Once he met you, he never forgot your name, and he had an exceptional knowledge of people, places, and events of the past. He had a soft spot for kids and adored his grandchildren — Kylie, Ashley, Savanna, Olivia, Tucker, Paisley, and Benntley — and they, along with some of his nieces and nephews got a nickname from Papa and Uncle Rick. He was a charter member of the Lawler Sons of the American Legion chapter, but his heart belonged to his family members, including in recent years his special friend Rose Groff. His family was his passion, and they will miss him dearly yet are comforted by the fact that the man who gave out nicknames like candy and dubbed himself “Frick” gave them countless memories to take with them in their lives. Richard is survived by his mother, Delores; his three children, Joel (Denise) Franzen of Ames, Jamie (Darwin) Beatty of Charles City, and Justin (Amanda) Franzen of Orrick, Missouri; seven grandchildren; three brothers, Dennis (Deb) Franzen of Waterloo, Ron Franzen of West Union and Curtis (Anita) Franzen of Lawler; one sister, Debbie (Steve) Oxendine of New Hampton; and numbers of nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his father, Cletus; a brother, David Franzen.