Richard Leo Lentsch

 Richard Lentsch, 91, of Howard passed away peacefully on Saturday, July 01, 2017, at the Good Samaritan Society, Howard. Funeral services will be 11am, Wednesday, July 5, 2017 at Beach United Methodist Church, Howard, with burial to follow in Winfred Cemetery, Winfred, South Dakota. Visitation will begin at noon on Tuesday with the family present to greet friends from 5pm to 7pm at Willoughby Funeral Home, Howard. Richard Leo Lentsch was born May 10, 1926 at Winfred, South Dakota to John and Mary (Schoeberl) Lentsch. Dick as people would call him was raised north of Winfred, where he attended country school.  He worked on the family farm for a few years. Richard was then united in marriage to Bonnie Shoemaker on December 1, 1947 at Pipestone, Minnesota. The couple farmed until the fall of 1981, when they moved into Howard. Dick then started his backhoe business. Dick also drove a bus for the school system in Howard. Dick was an honorable man who loved his family and would always talk about them. The love of his life,  Bonnie passed away on December 12, 1983.  Dick enjoyed playing pool and had won numerous trophies; he also enjoyed playing cards, hunting deer, antelope, and pheasants. He also had a garden that he was always attending to.  He would daily have coffee and fellowship with his friends and had a companion in his dogs in later years. Dick will truly be missed by his family as he was a kind and loving father, grandfather and great grandfather. Those grateful for having shared in his life include his son Bruce (Maureen) Lentsch of Brookings, SD; two daughters Brenda (Wallace) Ahrendt of Sioux Falls, SD; Darla (Tom) Reisch of Howard, SD; eleven grandchildren; sixteen great grandchildren; a brother Henry Lentsch of Sioux Falls, SD; a sister Mildred Olson of Clark, SD, three sister-in-laws JoAnn Lentsch, Dee Poppen both of Madison, SD; Beverly Lentsch of Booneville, AR; a brother-in-law Larry Shoemaker of Prescott Valley, AZ; and other relatives and friends. Dick was preceded in death by his parents, wife Bonnie, grandson Bradley Mentele, great grandson Ty Lentsch; his twin brother Robert, two brothers Urban and Kenny, three sisters Caroline Frey, Dorothy Schultz and Katherine Edwards and three infant siblings Michael, Andrew and Elizabeth.    

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