Richard Schwickerath

Richard H. Schwickerath, age 86 of New Hampton, Iowa died Wednesday February 27, 2013 at St. Mary's Hospital in Rochester, MN. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held 11:00 am. Tuesday March 5, 2013, at Holy Family Parish - St. Joseph Center with Rev. Mark Osterhaus officiating. The pall will be placed on the casket by his wife and three daughters and the offertory gifts will be presented by Tom Straw and Sam Hilt. Bob Martin will be the lector. Interment will be in St. Mary's Cemetery, New Hampton with Gordon Schwickerath, Steve Gilbert, Avey Johnson, Gail Pontenberg, Vic Baltes, Jason Reicherts, Richard Hackman and Tim Rozen serving as pallbearers. Friends may greet the family 3:00 - 7:00 p.m. Monday, March 4, 2013, at the Hugeback-Johnson Funeral Home in New Hampton where there will be a 6:00 p.m. parish scripture service. Visitation continues an hour prior to the service at the church on Tuesday. Richard Herman Schwickerth was born March 11, 1926, on the Schwickerath family farm south of North Washington, IA, the son of Nick and Dora (Papenheim) Schwickerath. He received his education at St. Mary’s School in North Washington. On April 20, 1949, at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in North Washington, he married Darlene Pontenberg. To this union three daughters were born. The couple began farming at several farms in the New Hampton. In 1965, they purchased their current farm northwest of New Hampton. As with most farmers in the area, they raised their field crops as well as livestock. Richard began as a substitute rural mail carrier, later becoming full time and retired from the Post Office in 1991. Darlene died in 1999. On March 6, 2002, he married Dorothy (Berry) Reicherts. They enjoyed their years ‘wintering in Texas’, golfing, playing cards and shuffleboard. Survivors include his wife, Dorothy; three daughters, Connie (Tom) Straw of New Hampton; Karla (Sam) Hilt) of Rochester, MN, Karen Schwickerath of Des Moines, IA; three grandsons, Brian (Erin) Straw of Cedar Falls, Mitch (Julie Buhmeyer) Straw of Cedar Rapids, Tony Straw of Cedar Falls; two great-grandchildren, Avery and Lakin Straw of Cedar Falls; two step-daughters, Rose Reicherts of Shawnee, KS, Laura (Duane) Schwickerath of New Hampton; three step-sons, John (Deb) Reicherts of New Hampton, Robert Reicherts of Cannon Falls, MN, Mike (Jamie) Reicherts of Greene, IA; many step-grandchildren and step-great-grandchildren; two brothers, Paul Schwickerath and Wilbert Schwickerath, both of New Hampton. He was preceded in death by his parents, his first wife, one brother, Alvin Schwickerath and two sisters, Valery Gebel and Mildred Schwickerath.