Richard Youngberg passed away on September 30, 2018 at his home on the family farm near Essex, Iowa, in the company of his children DeWayne, Suzanne and Kenneth. Richard was preceded in death by his beloved wife Wilma (Sickman) Youngberg, who passed away at the family home on September 8, 2000.

Richard ("Dick") Lee Youngberg was born on January 19, 1933, the son of Gerald Youngberg and Stella (Tornquist) Youngberg. The oldest of three children, he was raised on the family farm near Essex, Iowa, three miles south of his current farm. He was baptized and confirmed in Fremont Lutheran Church at Nyman, Iowa. Richard attended the historic Goldenrod Schoolhouse then located in Fremont Township and was salutatorian of the Page County Rural Schools upon graduation from 8th grade in 1947. He graduated in 1951 from Red Oak High School and attended Augustana College in Rock Island, Illinois for one year before transferring to the University of Nebraska at Lincoln.

Richard enlisted in the U.S. Army Reserves in 1952 and served on active duty during 1954-56 with an artillery division stationed in post-war Germany. He returned in 1956 and resumed college at UNL during fall semesters while also farming full time and graduated in 1959 with a Bachelor's Degree in Agricultural Engineering. In early 1960, Richard met Wilma Sickman of Northboro, Iowa at a church youth social in Shenandoah, Iowa. The couple were engaged at Christmas 1960 and married on December 27, 1961. After a brief honeymoon in Kansas City, Missouri, Richard and Wilma moved into their current home east of Essex, where they continued to farm together for nearly 39 years. To the union of Richard and Wilma, three children were born, DeWayne, Suzanne and Kenneth. Richard was a member of the Fremont Lutheran Church at Nyman and served as Treasurer of the Mount Hope Cemetery Association for many years. In addition to being a devoted son, husband, father and grandfather, Richard thoroughly enjoyed life as a farmer.

He also enjoyed reading history, traveling and spending time with his children and grandchildren, having recently relocated to Soldotna, Alaska near Kenneth and his family.

In addition to his wife Wilma, Richard was preceded in death by his parents, Gerald and Stella Youngberg and an infant sister Patsy who died at 3 years old. He is survived by his sister Nancy Clark of Hamilton, Montana, his three children, DeWayne of Austin, Texas, Suzanne of Zionsville, Indiana, and Kenneth of Soldotna, Alaska, as well as eight grandchildren, Madeline, Oliver, Anderson, Sophia, Nicholas, Daniela, Abigail and Angelica, ages 21 through 5 years. He will be dearly missed by his family as well as his many friends and neighbors.

Funeral service will be held 10:30 a.m., Thursday, October 4, 2018 at the Fremont Lutheran Church in Nyman, Iowa.

Visitation with the family will be held from 5:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m., Wednesday, October 3, 2018 at the Hackett-Livingston Funeral Home in Shenandoah.

Burial will be held at the Mt. Hope Cemetery in Nyman, Iowa. In lieu of flowers memorials may be directed to the Mt. Hope Cemetery of Nyman,Iowa.