Richard "Dick" E. Hicks

RICHARD E. “DICK” HICKS
Sutherland, Iowa
Richard E. “Dick” Hicks, age 88 of Sutherland, Iowa who passed away on Saturday, October 5, 2019 at the Community Memorial Health Center in Hartley, Iowa. His Memorial Services will be 10:30 A.M. Wednesday, October 9, 2019 at the Church of Christ in Sutherland, Iowa with Pastor John Erickson and Pastor Ken Greeley – officiating.
Burial will be at a later date in the Waterman Cemetery in Sutherland.
Visitation with the family present will be from 7:00 – 9:00 P.M. on Tuesday, October 8, 2019 at the Family Living Center in the Church of Christ in Sutherland, Iowa under the care of the Eldridge Family Funeral Home in Paullina, Iowa.
On line condolences can be sent to eldridgefamilyfuneralhomes.com


RICHARD EUGENE HICKS was born in Grant Township, O’Brien County, to Lucille (Nelson) Hicks and George Eugene Hicks on October 7, 1930. He started his education at the age of four at country school where his aunt, Katherine Hicks, taught. He attended schools in Peterson, Linn Grove, and Sutherland, graduating as the third out of five generations of Hicks men from Sutherland High School in 1948.

Though rheumatic fever kept him from participating in sports, it did not keep him out of the United States Marine Corps. He was drafted in 1951, (Semper Fi) and served in the Marines with his lifelong friend Tom Taylor of Corning, New York. He was united in marriage to Dona Jean Jahn on July 11, 1951. Dick and Dona had three children. Richard was a hard working farmer who found the time to volunteer everywhere. He served on the Sutherland School Board for 27 years, most of that time as the chairman. When Dick was president of the school board he signed diplomas for all of his children, as well as one grandchild. He was a charter member of the Ruritan Club and 49-year member of the American Legion Post 152. He served as Grant Township Trustee and was a member of the board of the Sutherland Church of Christ. At the time of his death, he still served on the Sutherland Remembers When Society.

He retired from farming in 1992, but did not stop working, of course. He also worked for C-S Agrow and Craig Struve, City View Farms, Franken Custom, each he called his “family”! He did over the road trucking with several companies, including Donald Segelke, Bill and Tim Rohrbaugh, Paul Grothe, Jack Youde, John Leonard, Jerry Miller, Dennis Duccommun and assisted Dave Steffen in his custom windrowing business for many years. He also drove bus for the White Tiger Lines, Chuck Virgil and Jerry Hansen.

Richard is survived by his wife of 68 years, Dona; their children Douglas & Denice (Ebel) of Lincoln, Nebraska, and Tucson, Arizona; Denise (Hicks) & David Steffen of Sutherland; and Daniel & Joni (Lackey) of Mesa, Arizona. He is also survived by three grandchildren, Dain & Brooke (Huffman) of Silver Creek, Nebraska; Dustin & Jamie (Pedersen) of Spirit Lake; and Drew Hicks of Tempe, Arizona; and five great-grandchildren, Brianne & Elliot Watts of Osceola, Nebraska; Dillon & Dakotah Hicks of Malcolm, Nebraska; and Dayton, Drake, and Delaney Hicks of Spirit Lake. And one great great-grandson, Beckett Watts. He is also survived by one sister, Shirley (Otho) Kinsley, and one brother Beryl Hicks.

Richard was preceded in death by his parents, sister-in-law Jan Hicks, nephew Tim Hicks, and great-nephew Kipp Kinsley.