Richard S. Espeland
FOREST CITY - Richard Espeland, age 78 of Forest City, died Monday, May 9, 2011 at Mercy Medical Center in Mason City, Iowa. Funeral service will be held at 10:30 AM on Thursday, May 12, 2011 at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Forest City with Pastor Rod Hopp officiating. Burial will be at Oakland Cemetery in Forest City. Visitation will be held from 5 to 7 PM on Wednesday, May 11, 2011 at Petersen Lund Funeral Home 505 North Clark Street in Forest City and will continue an hour prior to service at the church. Richard S. Espeland was born in Rake, Iowa, on August 14, 1932, the son of Cyrus and Celia (Christianson) Espeland. He received his education in Rake and graduated from Rake High School in 1950. He served for two years in the U.S. Army during the Korean Conflict. He was united in marriage to Darlyne Johnson on March 17, 1953 in Wells, Minnesota. The couple made their home in Forest City, Iowa where Richard did construction work and worked for Lloyd Olson at the Olson Furniture Store. Richard's 30 year career with the US Postal Service began in Forest City where he carried mail for many years. He then became Postmaster at the Crystal Lake Post Office, a position he held unt...[more]View Full Online Obituary and Tributes
his retirement when he began working for himself. And this was his passion ~ he loved being his own boss. He laid carpet in homes throughout the north Iowa area and he didn't need to advertise because word of mouth kept him very busy. He remained focused on being self-sufficient and did as much for himself as he could, teaching and challenging his children to keep up and work along-side him. Richard was a talented woodworker and he enjoyed raising cattle and exotic birds. He was a member of Immanuel Lutheran Church and the American Legion. He is survived by his wife, Darlyne of Forest City and three children: Trudy (Rick) Johnson of Mason City, IA; Rick (Michelle) Espeland of Winterset, IA; and Steven (Susan) Espeland of Madrid, IA; 7 grandchildren and 2 great-grandchildren. Richard was preceded in death by his parents, his son Tim, three brothers and a sister.
