Richard “Dick” Edwards, 88, of Hecla, SD passed away peacefully at his home May 30th, 2023, with family by his side.
Dick was born February 8th, 1935, to Charles and Ella (Weifenbach) Edwards in Greenfield township where the family farmed. After completing the 8th grade, he went to work on the farm with family. He later completed his GED and was drafted into the Army in January 1958 and served at Ft. Bliss Texas as a PFC Tech Military Policeman. He served until October 1959.He married Kay Rexinger on December 21,1966. Through this union they had 3 children; Bill, John and Charles. Dick stayed on the family farm until the farming recession and sold the farm in the spring of 1985. He then relocated to Hecla buying the Sand Lake Hotel. They also managed the Hub Café and later ran the local bar, Dick’s Fifth Wheel. He and Kay parted ways in 1987.
Dick married Bonita Bailey February 15, 1991, bringing her two children Carla and Brandon into the family. They continued to operate Dick’s Fifth Wheel for a few years. He held various jobs throughout his years including driving a bus route for 20 years and working for Cenex Coop where he was known by his coworkers as “bibbers”. He and Bonita operated the Sand Lake Hotel for several years, renting rooms for hunters coming to the area.
Dick was an avid sportsman and loved the outdoors primarily hunting pheasant and geese. He shot trap league for several years and continued to do so up until the later stages of his life. He was a member of Hecla Sportsman Club, and American Legion Post 68. In his later years, he also enjoyed woodworking, making several picnic tables and shelves. He always loved to “tinker” and build. He often spent his spare time researching how to build something he had seen and figured out how to make it work. Dick also loved to watch western movies and tv shows.
He is survived by his wife Bonita; his children Bill (LeAnne) Edwards, John Edwards, Charles Edwards, Carla Fixen, and Brandon (Jessica) Casey; 13 grandchildren and 6 great grandchildren. He is preceded in death by his parents and siblings Dorothy Dubois, Viola Katalinas, Harold Edwards, and Eugene Edwards.
A Memorial Service will be held on Saturday, June 10, 2023 at 11:00 a.m. at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Hecla with a Time of Remembrance one hour prior. Burial will be at Hecla City Cemetery near Hecla. Dick’s service will be live streamed on the Dahlstrom Funeral Home website www. dahlstromfuneralhome.com on his obituary page.
