Richard L. Blitgen

Richard Laverne Blitgen, 89, of Bellevue, passed away suddenly and peacefully in his home on Tuesday, July 3, 2018. His last words to family just minutes before his passing were, Everything is 10 & 2, as he enjoyed a fudgesicle on his sunporch. Richard had been living life to the fullest right up to his passing, and treated every day as a blessing. Richard came into this world on Christmas Eve, 1928. He was born to Walter Frank and Edna Adele (Hinke) Blitgen, on their family farm in rural Bellevue. The local doctor had made the 8 mile trip out for a house-call on December 23rd and got snowed in, so he decided to stay and go hunting. It was a good thing Doc Hanske was there, because family legend has it that Richard put up such a struggle on his birthday, that the rest of us are lucky to be here. On April 30, 1955, Richard married his sweetheart, Marjorie Ann Bierman, at Wartburg Seminary in Dubuque, Iowa. During their wedding ceremony, a friend sang the hymn, Blest Be the Tie That Binds, and the two were indeed bound in a loving and supportive union for 63 splendid years. The final verse of the hymn sings, When we asunder part / it gives us inward pain / but we shall still be joined in heart / and hope to meet again. Richard is joined in heart and will be deeply missed by his wife Marge; their two sons, Michael (Elaine), and Jim (Theresa) Blitgen; their daughter Kathy (Jace) Ohlert; seven grandchildren, Daniel, Alisha, Jacob, Melissa, David, Isaac, and Joshua; four great-grandchildren, Addyson, Aliyah, Thomas, and Mabel; and Richs two younger sisters, Dorothy (Solberg) Baker, and Alice (Eli) Gauna. Although Richard was an accomplished and respected riverboat captain and served honorably in the military during his youth, he will likely be remembered most for his kindness and humor as a friend, father, spouse, and grandpa. Richard would spend hours taking his grandchildren fishing, hunting for nightcrawlers, tinkering with clocks and gadgets, or reminiscing about his days piloting barges and paddlewheels on the river. Richard certainly passed on his love of the Mississippi to his children and grandchildren, and they will think of him with fondness and pride whenever they look at its muddy waters. Richard loved his hometown of Bellevue, so in lieu of gifting flowers for his memorial, donations to local organizations would be a wonderful tribute. Some of his prefered organizations were the American Legion Post 273, Bellevue Fire and Rescue, Bellevue Ambulance and St. John Lutheran Church. A funeral service for Richard will be held at 11:00 AM on Tuesday, July 10, at St. John Lutheran Church in Bellevue. Visitation will be held prior to the service from 9:00 - 11:00, also at the church, and burial of cremains will take place in the Lutheran cemetery following the service. Online condolences may be left for the family at www.hachmannfuneralhome.com