Richard J. Janssen, 76, of Winside died Friday, Feb. 18, 2022 at Faith Regional Health Services in Norfolk.
Services will be held at 11 a.m. Monday, Feb. 28 at the United Methodist Church in Winside. Visitation will be from 9:30 a.m. until service time at the church. Private burial will be in Pleasant View Cemetery at Winside.
Memorials may be directed to the Winside Fire Department, Carroll Fire Department, Winside United Methodist Church or the Carroll Park Fund.
Arrangements are with Hasemann Funeral Home of Wayne.
Richard James Janssen was born on April 21, 1945 at his grandparents’ house in Carroll to Carl and Mable (Shufelt) Janssen. He attended school in Carroll and Wayne. In his early teens he worked for various farmers. He moved to Fremont and worked as a skilled welder. There he met the love of his life, Georgia Smith, on a blind date. On June 27, 1964 they were married at the Carroll United Methodist Church. They lived in the Carroll and Winside area all of their married life. Richard was a retired member of the Carroll Fire Department. He worked for Wayne County Road District operating large equipment, which he loved.
In 1974, shortly after Nucor began operating, he worked as an overhead crane operator over the hot steel. After retirement he kept busy helping his farmer friends. Richard loved the Wayne County Fair and was named Fair Person Of The Year in 2002. Richard enjoyed many hobbies; fishing, hunting, camping, building construction, gardening and woodworking. He loved playing cards and hosting fish fries. Richard also loved teaching his grandchildren and great grandchildren skills at every opportunity.
Survivors include his wife, Georgia; children Rebecca (Roger), Melinda (Jim), and Marcus (Michelle); 10 grandchildren and 11 great grandchildren; sisters, Carla (Gary) Oakeson and Elsie Rohde; brothers-in-law, Wallace (Terri) Smith, Roger (Maria) Smith, sister-in-law Gloria (John) Maher; nieces and nephews.
