Obituary of Richard Usher

Richard Allen Usher , 78 of Cambridge passed away on Thursday, June 12, 2008 at Cambridge Health Care Center. He was born November 10, 1929 in Minneapolis, MN to Harold and Kathryn ( Mayclin) Usher. At the age of six his family moved to the Usher homestead in Maple Ridge Township and farmed along with his grandfather, Miles Usher. Richard joined the Army in 1946 and served in Germany in the post war era. He reinlisted in the Air Force in 1949 and continued to serve until his retirement from the military in 1967. While stationed in Texas he met and married Imogene Aycock in Sherman, Texas in 1950. Imogene passed away in 1961 due to complications after childbirth in Torrejon, Spain. Richard was left with two young daughters to care for and returned to Minnesota to be closer to his family. On July 28, 1963 Richard married Janice Anderson. The family lived at the Air Force base in Duluth, MN until the time of his transfer to Chicksands Air Force base in England. Two more daughters were born during their four years spent in England. After retiring from the military the family returned to the farm in Maple Ridge where Richard farmed and raised purebred Polled Hereford cattle. In addition to farming he attended Pine Tech and received a degree in Agriculture and worked during the winter months at Cambridge State Hospital. In 1980 he sold part of the farm due to health problems and moved to Cambridge. He then worked for East Central Regional Library driving the bookmobile. He loved this job as he was an avid reader and enjoyed visiting with all the patrons. Richard loved fishing, hunting and traveling when he was younger and woodworking in his later years. His wife and each of his daughters have beautiful wood trunks he made, carved and painted for each of them and at the time of his death there are still wood shavings and an unfinished project on his work bench. He was a member of the Cambridge American Legion Post #290, was a former trustee of Stanchfield Baptist Church and a current member of Cambridge Lutheran Church. He was preceded in death by his parents, wife Imogene, sisters Betty Depew and Kathleen Nedegaard. Richard is survived by wife Janice of Cambridge, daughters Karen and husband Jim Dellwo of Rush Point, Susan Peterson of Cambridge, Melissa Sundvall and husband Wayne of Stanchfield , Alison and husband Douglas Perry of Linwood, ten grandchildren Heather (Jim) Sward, Terrin Granlund, Jeremy Peterson, Scott, Kara, Erica and Max Sundvall, Mark and Luke Granlund and John Perry, three great grandchildren James Peterson, Natalie Dunckel, and Hannah Mae Sward, sister Marilyn Hannah of Palm Springs, CA, as well as nieces and nephews, other relatives and friends.