Thief
River Falls - Charles "Chuck" Richards, 73, died Monday, March
20, 2000 at his home in Thief River Falls.
Funeral services were held at 2 p.m. on Friday, March 24 at Zion Lutheran Church in Thief River Falls with Rev. Dennis Raymond officiating. Ida Nordvall was the organist, and the vocalist was Diane Johnson. Casketbearers were Ken Froschheiser, Duane Holland, Tim Miller, Alan Melbye, Vern Cleven and Jim Fulton. Honorary casketbearers were fellow law enforcement officers. Burial was in Greenwood Cemetery with military rites provided by the Thief River Falls VFW and American Legion. The Green Funeral Home of Thief River Falls was in charge of the arrangements.
Charles R. Richards was born on December 2, 1926 in Winger, the son of Charles and Mabel (Hustad) Richards. He was baptized in the Lutheran faith and attended elementary school in Plummer. Chuck graduated from Lincoln High School in Thief River Falls in 1945 and attended the University of North Dakota for a short time.
On June 28, 1945, he entered the U.S. Army. During World War II, he was stationed in Germany, serving as a surgical technician with the 1264th Combat Engineers. After he was honorably discharged on February 16, 1947 at Fort Sheridan, IL, he returned to Thief River Falls and went to work for the US Army Corps of Engineers.
Chuck was united in marriage to Lylian Swanson on June 24, 1951 at Zion Lutheran Church in Thief River Falls. The couple made their home in Thief River Falls.
On December 26, 1950, Chuck was called to active duty by the Minnesota National Guard in Thief River Falls. He served with Company C 136th Infantry, and the unit was sent to Camp Rucker, Alabama during the Korean Conflict. Chuck served as Company Commander, and the company was awarded the Eisenhower Trophy. After being honorably discharged on August 17, 1952, he continued to serve in the Army National Guard, rising to the rank of Captain.
In 1956, Chuck went to work as a deputy sheriff for Pennington County. In 1958, he was elected Pennington County Sheriff, an office he held until his retirement in 1987. During his tenure as Pennington County Sheriff, he also served as the county's Civil Defense Director. He was president of the Minnesota State Sheriff Association in 1982. Following his retirement, Chuck was employed at Arctco, where he worked as the distribution coordinator of oil products for seven years.
Chuck was a member of Zion Lutheran Church where he served on various boards and committees, including president of the congregation. He was a member of the Masonic Lodge, a life member of the VFW and past commander of American Legion Post 117.
He also served on the Northwest Medical Center Board, Glenmore Foundation Board, Northwestern Minnesota Juvenile Center Board and numerous other boards and committees in the area.
Chuck is survived by his wife, Lylian of Thief River Falls; three daughters, Kelsey (Mike) Blowers of Thief River Falls; Karyn (Tim) Lutz of Ada and Kristie (Jeff) Hensel of Fargo, ND; one son, Ross (Susan) Richards of Bemidji; seven grandchildren; one sister, Mavis Swanson of Florida; and many other relatives.
He was preceded in death by his parents; one sister, Jean Evenson; and a nephew and niece.
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