Don Henry Richards

Don Henry Richards, 88 of Hinton, IA, was one of four children born to Frank and Carolyn (Casper) Richards in Steen, MN, on June 7, 1931 and passed into his rest on Dec. 2, 2017.

Memorial services will be at 10:30 A.M. Thursday at the Hinton United Methodist Church. Rev. Kolleen Queener will officiate. Visitation with the family present will be from 6:00 – 8:00 P.M. Wednesday with a prayer service at 7:00 P.M. at Meyer Brothers Morningside Chapel.

Shortly after being born, the family moved to Hinton, IA, where, other than his time in the Marines, Don has lived his entire life. The career for which Don is most noted is being the postmaster of the Hinton post office; a position he held for 30+ years. On December 19, 1952, Don married Joanne Spies in Hinton, IA,

Don was a man who loved the outdoors and sports. He was invited to try-out for the Chicago White Sox minor-league baseball team, but spent the next 12 months in Korea instead. In school he was involved in football, baseball, and basketball, and was a top athlete in each of those sports. As an adult, Don added bowling and golf to his list of athletic accomplishments, with golf being a huge love of his. He was instrumental in the development of Deer Run Golf Course in Hinton and was known far and wide for his golf ball collections. In addition to these sports, Don loved to fish and to hunt pheasants and really enjoyed doing these activities with his children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and friends.

Loving sports as much as he did, Don loved his family and friends even more. For years on his birthday he would organize a Green Shirt Invitational golf tournament (complete with a winner’s plaque hanging in his house) and for Thanksgiving he would organize a skeet-shooting competition (again, with a winner’s plaque). He longed to spend time with all people and gave most people a nick-name; and the neighborhood children, to whom Don would give candy, loved going to see him in his garage and called him “Neighbor Don.” Don would even give candy to the workers in various stores and all knew him by name and looked forward to his shopping days.

Don is survived by his three children, Curt (Janet) of Omaha, NE, and children Clint (Krystle) Richards, Michelle (Chris) Fees, and Lisa (Sean) Mahoney; Roxanne (Scott) Handy of Keystone, SD, and children BJ Handy, and Justin Handy; and Marti (Dennis) Huggenberger of Merrill, IA, and children Katie (Chris) Gordon, Andrew (Jess) Huggenberger, Kevin (Kate) Huggenberger and Kyle (Hannah) Huggenberger; fourteen great-grandchildren and numerous friends. Don is, also, survived by his sisters-in-law Peggy Carroll and Mildred Richards, both of Hinton, IA, and Jeannette Spies of Merrill, IA; numerous nieces, nephews, and friends.