Richard Jule Kuehn

Richard Jule Kuehn, 84, was born to Henry and Hilda (Merkel) Kuehn on October 25, 1939 in Menominee, NE. On October 24, 2024, he was reunited with his parents, brothers Calvin, who died shortly after birth, Jim in 2012, sisters Susan Hesse in 2013, Shirley Steffen in 2020, and our Lord in Heaven.

A Memorial Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, October 29, 2024, at Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Hartington, Nebraska, with Reverend Owen Korte officiating. Burial of his cremated remains will follow at St. Michael’s Cemetery in Hartington. Visitation will be held on Monday, October 28, 2024, at the church, from 4-6:00 p.m. with a vigil service at 5:30. The family will receive friends one hour prior to the Mass on Tuesday at the church. Arrangements are under the direction of the Wintz Funeral Home in Hartington.

Instead of flowers, Dick asks that memorials be made to a busing fund at Cedar Catholic. 

Dick grew up in Fordyce, NE attending Saint John the Baptist Catholic School. He began work at a young age helping area farmers. He helped in the construction of Gavins Point Dam and spent a short time working in Omaha, NE and Denver, CO. Dick moved to Hartington in 1958 where he and his brother, Jim, owned and operated The Standard Station until 1965. In 1959, while in the service station, he became a volunteer fireman for Hartington, serving until 1970. 

In 1965, Dick began employment with Consumers Public Power, later to become Nebraska Public Power District, where he continued to work as a lineman/serviceman until his retirement on January 31, 2001. While working full time for the power company, he operated a tree cutting and stump removal business after hours and on the weekends. He removed hundreds of trees with Dutch Elm disease in the community and on the Hartington Golf Course. In addition, he took down all the poplar trees that lined the fairways on the golf course. He also tended bar in the evenings at the VFW Club. 

In 2004, he began driving a school bus to activities for Cedar Catholic High School. He took a full-time route in 2006. He retired the full-time route in the spring of 2019, after which he substituted until Christmas of 2023.

On May 5, 1962, he married Patricia Anne Kramer, daughter of Alvin and Maxine Kramer at Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Hartington. Together, they raised their five children while living and working in Hartington.

Dick was a member of Holy Trinity Catholic Church. He and Pat served as the heads of Cedar Catholic Development and Cedar's "300 Club" while their children were attending Cedar Catholic. Dick and Pat also volunteered at the Holy Trinity Garage Sale for many years. 

Surviving family members include his wife of 62 years, Pat, children - Bill (girlfriend Sonya Fleeman), Columbus, Jane (partner Theresa Rein), Lincoln, Rick (Stacy), Hartington, Joe (Charity), Lincoln, and Mark (Denise), Hartington. Thirteen grandchildren - Bill's - Shelby (fiancé - Chad Opplinger his children Eryx and Drecklyn), and Ben. Rick's - Macalister, Samuel, and Harrison. Joe's - Audrey Musgrave (Tyler and their daughter Della), Alyson Jackson (Tommy), Marissa and Delaney. Mark's - Dylan, Brooklyn, Isaac, and Alex. Siblings - Sharon Hames (Francis), South Sioux City, NE and Patrick (Missy), Fordyce, NE. In-laws - Joan and Bob Meier - Omaha, Ty Kramer - Sioux Falls, SD, and Dan and Renee Kramer - Yankton, SD.

Also preceding him in death were his in-laws - Alvin and Maxine Kramer, brothers- in-law, John Hesse, George Steffen, and Don Kramer.