Goldie Irene Richter, 88, of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, passed away on Tuesday February 16, 2016 at the Sutherland Care Center in Sutherland, Nebraska.
Memorial Services will be held at 10:00 a.m. Monday, February 22, 2016 at the Holechek Funeral Home in Oshkosh with Pastor Dale Fischer of the Hope Baptist Church in Sutherland officiating. Burial will be in the Oshkosh Cemetery.
Cremation has taken place and there will be no visitation at the funeral home.
Holechek Funeral Home and Cremations in Oshkosh is serving the Richter family.
Irene was born August 8, 1927 in Oshkosh, Nebraska, to William Earl Dowson and Minnie Minerva (Maxwell) Dowson. She had six siblings: Gertrude, Marvin, Lewis, Ida Mae, Dean and Dale. Irene attended elementary school in Ashby and later Oshkosh as the family moved to the area to farm and ranch.
On June 21, 1948, Irene was united in marriage to Robert Dean Richter, whom she met while working as a telephone operator in Chappell. They were married for 62 years. To this union, two children were born: Richard James and Christy Ann. When Bob was discharged from the Army, they lived at Huskerville in Lincoln while he was attending UNL, and later his work with the Soil Conservation Service took them to many places in Nebraska, including Holdrege, Arapahoe, Syracuse and Broken Bow, among others. Upon his retirement, they settled in Torrington, Wyoming and later moved to Sioux Falls, South Dakota, where they lived at the time of Bob's passing in 2010.
Irene was a member of the United Methodist Church and had many hobbies, including volunteer hospital work, quilting, cooking, refinishing old furniture, bowling, going to auctions and shopping. She had an infectious laugh and the witty, often dry sense of humor that the Dowsons are known for. Irene’s granddaughter Carsen was a true delight in her life.
She was preceded in death by her husband Bob, parents, siblings Gertie, Marvin, Lewis, Idie, and Dale.
Irene is survived by her son Richard of Sutherland, daughter Chris, son-in-law Tim and granddaughter Carsen of Inwood, Iowa, a brother, Dean, of Hershey, sister-in-law Martha Dowson, several members of Bob's family, including Art, Fred and Joyce, as well as numerous nieces, nephews and friends.