Richard ""Dick"" Burkholder

Richard ""Dick"" Burkholder

January 2, 1930 - February 9, 2019

It was a cold, snowy January night, when a mid-wife delivered a baby boy, on a farm near Woodbine, lowa. That boy, Dick Burkholder, attended a country school from kindergarten until 3rd grade, when his family moved to another farm l2 miles west. Dick and his three siblings–sister Phyllis, sister Jessie and brother David–rode a bus five miles to the consolidated schools in Magnolia, Iowa. His youngest sister, Jessie, had a best friend named Lila who liked to ride the horses on their form.

After high school Dick attended lowa State University for two years. He felt the lure of travel, so he and a childhood friend jeeped to Alliance, Nebraska, the Black Hills, Yellowstone, Utah and finally Colorado. They stayed with various relatives en route and used their farming skills to pay their expenses. They were called back home to lowa to pitch hay so their jeeping days were over.

The Korean War started in June 1950. The two friends drove to Omaha to join the Air Force and beat the arrival of their draft notices by two days. In September 1950, Dick was assigned to Lackland Air Force Base in Texas. After one week, he was transferred to Wichita Falls Air Base for seven week basic training. Then, it was on to Keesler Air Base in Biloxi, Mississippi for electronics training. He graduated nine months later as an Electronics Technician.

Mather Base in Sacramento, California was his next stop. From June 1951 until 1953, he was involved in “hush, hush stuff” and was then sent to Lowry Field, Colorado for advanced electronics training. After six months he returned to Mather and was discharged from the Air Force in September 1954. So ended the military career of Dick Burkholder and he headed back to the farm.

Not for long however. He enrolled mid-term 1955 in the University of Nebraska in Lincoln: now his life gets interesting. Dick was only 6O miles from Omaha so he decided to call a friend he had dated briefly in high school. Luckily she was busy, but suggested one of her roommates, Lila. Yep, she was the same little girl, sister Jessie's best friend, the little girl who liked to ride horses. What a coincidence - that date went well and they were married the evening September 2, 1956. That happy coincidence lasted 62 years.

Dick received his B.A. in Agricultural Economics and his Masters Degree in Agricultural Economics in I959. Post-graduation, a lifetime of service to country began again, with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). The Midwesterners Dick and Lila (with baby Scott) moved to the Wild West: Billings, Montana; Boise, Idaho (with little Joel); and Denver, Colorado (with Jill and Jim).

 

Retirement in April 1989 did not begin a life of rest, but a life filled with work and volunteerism. Using life time woodworking skills, he built teak furniture with Alpine Millworks, repaired furniture for Café Del Sol Restaurant, and also delivered cars around Denver with Auto Avenues.

For over 20 years, the Belmar History Museum in Lakewood benefited from Dick and Lila's volunteer hours. That Iowa farm boy came full circle as he fired up tractors, drove the barrel train, repaired fences, and painted barns. He was the ‘go to guy' for any job. Driving the I-H tractor and giving hay rides to the many visitors both young and old, was a particular joy for Dick.

In retirement, Dick and Lila's family grew to include three daughter-in-laws, Judith (Scott), Keeley (Joel) and May Sung (Jim) and one son-in-law, Todd (Jill). Dick added the title of Grandpa with the arrival of grandchildren Keri, Michael, Jackson, Harrison and Carolynn.

His parents, Verne and Helen Burkholder, preceded him in death, as did his little sister Jessie Mclean. However, not before his own children were lucky to spend countless summer vacations in Iowa experiencing life and adventures on the same farm where their Dad was raised. Lasting family bonds were formed with uncles, aunts, cousins during those hot Iowa summers.

Heartbreaking family loss came when son Jim succumbed to a well-fought battle with pancreatic cancer in 2013.

For 6 years, Dick held his own against Alzheimer's disease. Fortunately, the staff at Applewood House IV in Lakewood, Colorado, cared for him and loved him as their very own ""Papa Bear"" for the last eight months of his life. The family is grateful for their personal attention to the whole family. Dick was surrounded by love and warmth of family when he left on a foggy February night.

We are confident he is sitting around a big wooden farm table with Jim, his parents, and Jessie, with an endless cup of coffee and a plate of cookies (with one in his pocket for later!).

Charitable donations may be made to Alzheimers.org, Pancreatic Cancer Action Network (pancan.org), or Concordia Lutheran Church.

Survived by wife Lila; sons Scott (Judith) Burkholder, Joel (Keeley) Burkholder; daughter Jill (Todd) Fockler; five grandchildren; sister Phyllis Martin; brother David Burkholder. Preceded in death by son Jim Burkholder, sister Jessie Mclean.

Funeral Service Monday., 02/18/19, 10:30 am, Concordia Lutheran Church, 13371 W. Alameda Pkwy. Interment Fort Logan National Cemetery, 1:30 pm.

Funeral Service: February 18, 2019 10:30 am

Concordia Lutheran Church
13371 W Alameda Pkwy
Lakewood, CO 80228
303-989-5260

Graveside Service: February 18, 2019 1:30 pm - 2:00 pm

Fort Logan National Cemetery
3698 South Sheridan Boulevard
Denver, CO 80236
(303) 761-0117
https://www.cem.va.gov/cems/nchp/ftlogan.asp