Obituary Record

Richard Ragels
Died on 3/5/2009

None

This long obituary is taken from the collection in the Notebook of Long Obituaries. The original newspaper article can be found in the Blair Library, Genealogy Room.

Published in Pilot-Tribune, March 10, 2009

RICHARD RAGELS, 74

(picture)

Richard Ragels, 74, of Rapid City, S. D., died Thursday, March 5, 2009, at Rapid City Regional Hospital.

Services were Monday, March 9, at Canyon Lake United Methodist Church in Rapid City. Private inurnment will be at Mountain View Cemetery at a later time.

Richard “Dick” Ragels was born Sept. 28, 1934, in Conde, S. D., to Chester and Grace Ragels. He graduated from Groton High School in 1952.

In 1953, he married LaDonna Neitzel. The couple had seven children, who were the light of his life.

During this time he was the meat department manager for Safeway with stores located in Wyoming and Montana. He and the family later moved to Rapid City. He started a construction company called D & L Builders, building residential homes. Later on, he worked for Midwestern Homes, was active in home building and land development, and Flack Hoffman Realty.

In 1993, he married Waneta Lee.

While working for Zanterra Parks and Recreation as chief engineer and special projects manager, the couple traveled in their motor home, and lived for extended periods of time in Death Valley, Calif.; Petrified Forest, Ariz.; Unicoi State Park, Ga.; and Crater Lake, Ore., while keeping their home base in Rapid City. Mr. Ragels was also the equipment facilities manager at GBA Inc. General Contractors.

From 2003 to 2005, the couple owned and operated Meadowbrook Grill and Pub in Rapid City. Although the hours were grueling, they truly enjoyed the time spent at the pub working and serving the public. After this, they took an extended break to embark on some wonderful motor home journeys. They made great friends on these adventures and were especially fond of the Margarita group. They also traveled with the Nomads, a mission outreach ministry of the United Methodist Church and provided volunteer labor for all sorts of projects involving construction to churches, homes, camps, youth centers and other agencies.

Mr. Ragels’ passions were boating, cooking on the barbecue grill; spending as much time as possible with his grandkids; any kind of building construction; traveling in the motor home; sports (Broncos, Huskers, Rockies, golf); his family and extended family and his wife, Waneta.

He had a very giving heart, and was always willing to lend a helping hand. He was kind, generous, loving, a good listener, caring, easy-tempered, fund to work with, and a good friend. He liked to laugh and was quick-witted and funny to the very end. He accepted people for who they were, without judgment.

In July of 2008, he was diagnosed with lung cancer. His final days were spent at home visiting with friends and loved ones, and hanging out with his wife.

Survivors include his wife, Waneta, of Rapid City; six daughters and sons-in-law, Lauri and Larry Randolph and Kristi and Bill Barber, both of Rapid City; Diane Griffin, Beth and Woody Welke, and Amy and Joel Wing, all of Blair; Nancy and Tim Balz of Omaha; one son, Rick Ragels of Colorado; one stepson and wife, Keith and Barb Bailey, Deer Lodge, Mont.; one brother and sister-in-law, Larry and Tonya Ragels, Lakewood, Colo.; and one sister and brother-in-law, Joyce and Mike Darling, Deadwood; 20 grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by a son, Terry; his parents; a sister, Ramona Schinkle; and brothers, Vance and Leonard Ragels.

A memorial has been established to Big Brothers/ Big Sisters and to Heifer International.

Printed in the Washington County Pilot-Tribune on 3/10/2009


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