Richard Schendel — Stewartville


Richard Lee Schendel stepped from this life into eternity with Christ, surrounded by his loving family, on April 1, 2016. Mr. Schendel died following a lengthy illness with Parkinson's disease at Spring Valley Senior Living, where he had been a resident for the past five months.

Richard was born June 30, 1932, to Daniel and Frances Schendel, in Chippewa Falls, Wis. He grew up in Menomonie, Wis., where he learned to love fishing, hiking and living on Lake Menomen. His parents owned Dan's Cafe and Drive-in, where all the Schendel kids worked while growing up. After graduating from Menomonie High, Richard joined the U.S. Air Force and spent four years in Germany during the Korean conflict, reaching the rank of sergeant. Following his discharge, Richard attended the UW-Stout, where he received his Bachelor of Science in industrial design.

While attending Stout, Richard met his bride of 58 years, Jean Goehring. They were married in 1958, and after a short time in Clintonville, Wis., they moved to Rochester, where Richard worked for IBM as an industrial/graphic designer for 30 years. Jean was homemaker and was also employed at IBM in Rochester for 15 years. They moved to Stewartville in 2000 where they have continued to make their home.

Richard's lifelong passion was photography, and he loved being out in creation capturing God's beauty through his camera lens. His inspiration was Ansel Adams, and he attended photography workshops with protégés of Adams'. He excelled in black and white photography, won several awards and sold photos both locally and internationally. He had an enduring love for nature and spent many happy summers camping, hiking and canoeing with his family. A favorite destination was the Boundary Waters Canoe Area (BWCA), where he camped and canoed with his sons and family. He had a quick wit and love for laughter and enjoyed the many family reunions at a family tree farm near Menomonie.

He is survived by his loving wife, Jean; sons, Scott (Pat) and Tom (Marquita); daughter, Susan (Brett) Topham; grandchildren, Laura Topham, Mark Topham, Evan Schendel and Tana Schendel; brothers, Dale and Mike (Sally); and numerous nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, Daniel and Frances Bergstrom Schendel; and grandson, William Joseph Schendel. The family is grateful for the loving care that was provided to Richard by the staff at Spring Valley Senior Living and Heartland Hospice.

A memorial service will be held at Stewartville United Methodist Church at 11 a.m. on Monday, April 4, 2016, with the Rev. Wane Souhrada officiating. Visitation will be one hour before the service at the church. In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorials be sent to Parkinsonsmn.org. Arrangements are with Griffin-gray F.H. in Stewartville. griffin-gray.com.