E. Richard Friesth

Coal Valley, Illinois E. Richard Friesth, 80, of Coal Valley, died Sunday, June 30, 2002, in his home. Memorial services are 3 p.m. Wednesday at Faith Lutheran Church, Moline, with The Reverend Mark Gehrke officiating. Private burial will be in Coal Valley Cemetery. The family will greet friends at the church following the services until 6 p.m.. Memorials may be made to the church or Pathway Hospice. Trimble Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements. Mr. Friesth was born April 28, 1922, in Badger, Iowa, the son of Gustav and Margaret (Wogen) Friesth. He attended Pacific Lutheran College, Parkland, Washington, served in the U. S. Army Air Corps during WW II, and graduated from Iowa State University, Ames, with a degree in mechanical engineering. He married Luana Lea Keim on September 1, 1948, in New Windsor, Illinois. He was employed as an engineer at John Deere Technical Center for 31 years, retiring in 1980. After retirement, he held various consulting positions. Dick was a member of Faith Lutheran Church, Moline, where he had served on the Church Council and various committees. He was a member of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, American Society of Agricultural Engineers, American Society of Automotive Engineers, and the Valley Sunrise Rotary Club. He was a past member of the Moline School Board, and had served on the Board of Directors of Lutheran Social Services of Illinois, the Robert E. Jones Library Board in Coal Valley, the Funding Advisory Board of United Way, and the International Standards Organization Committee on Metrics. He was a published author who wrote a book on the metric system. He was Republican Precinct Committeeman and ran twice for State Representative, and had been a member of the Coal Valley Fire Department and the American Legion. He enjoyed playing golf, woodworking, and fishing. Dick is survived by his wife, Luana; six children and their spouses, Lynn and Mary Lee Friesth of Moline, Lon and Denise Friesth of Urbandale, Iowa, Ann Cooper of Chelan, Washington, Scott Friesth of Peoria Heights, Illinois, Kurt and Barbara Friesth of Omaha, Nebraska, and Sue Friesth of Rock Island; ten grandchildren, Leif Rauer and his wife Nadine and Derek and Erika Friesth, Tana, Michael, Lisa, Adam, and Eric Friesth, and Sarah and Mark Cooper; brothers and sisters-in-law, Glenn and Carrie Friesth of Sun City West, Arizona, Mervin Friesth of Colorado Springs, Colorado, Wilmer "Barney" and Bea Friesth of Humble, Texas, and Helen Friesth of Otho, Iowa; and a half-sister, Merium Mumper of Fort Dodge, Iowa. He was preceded in death by two sons in infancy, a grandson, Brian Cooper, and two brothers, Edward and Irvin Friesth. Remembrances and condolences may be shared with the family at www.TrimbleFuneralHomes.com. END OF OBITUARY