Richard August Hein

Richard August "Dick" Hein, age 96 of the Audubon-Detroit Lakes, Minnesota area passed away on March 2, 2013, at Oak Crossing Transitional Care Unit in Detroit Lakes, Minnesota. Richard Hein was born on August 19, 1916, to Edward and Delphine (LaFromboise) Hein in Grafton, North Dakota. He attended school in Grafton. Dick lived and worked on the family farm and delivered milk for the family dairy. He lived an idyllic life until a food poisoning tragedy took his two older sisters, a brother, and his parents when he was fourteen years old. As a teenager, Dick worked on neighboring farms as a teamster and farm laborer. As World War II approached, he moved to Englewood, California, and worked for North American Aviation building the B-25 Bomber. He joined the Army Air Corp and trained as an aircraft mechanic. Later, Dick was selected for pilot training that continued until the war ended. Following the war he returned to Grafton and worked as an agronomist and field supervisor for American Crystal Sugar Company. Richard was united in marriage to C. Margaret Elton on August 17, 1947, at Audubon, Minnesota. In February of 1951 they moved to Audubon where they farmed until they retired in 1987. Dick was known for his outstanding dairy herd. His herd won many awards for conformation, and for many years the Dairy Herd Improvement Association recognized his herd as the top producing herd in the region. Richard was an active member of First Lutheran Church of Audubon, the American Legion, the Oddfellows, and the Dairy Herd Improvement Association. Dick received the outstanding Dairyman Award of the Red River Valley Winter Show. In addition to their dairy awards, Dick and Margaret were named the Outstanding Conservationists of Becker County and won the Red River Valley Farmer-Homemaker Award. Dick enjoyed golfing and fishing and scored a hole-in-one in 1998, and played his last round of golf in September 2012. Margaret passed away in 1990. On September 5, 1998 Dick married Blanch Olson. They lived in Detroit Lakes until the time of his death. Dick is survived by his sons Lynn (Susan) Hein of Maple Grove, MN; Bruce (Jean) Hein of Audubon, MN; Gary (Wanda) Hein of Lincoln, NE; and his second wife, Blanch Hein of Detroit Lakes, MN; as well as stepsons, Bert (Cindy) Olson of Sioux Falls, SD; Gary (Lyndsey) Olson of Minneapolis, MN; ten grandchildren, Jennifer (Joel) Liestman, Christopher (Christel) Hein, Krista (Kyle) Walter, Jordan (Jessica) Hein, Joshua (Ashley) Hein, Jacob Hein, Becca (Joe) Hartel, Derek (Abbie) Olson, Jennifer Olson and Megan Olson; five great grandchildren, Zane Walter, Austin Hein, Bennett Liestman, Riley Walter and Suriena Andrews; one brother, Marvin (Betty) Hein of Grand Forks, ND; many nieces and nephews. Dick was preceded in death by his wife Margaret, his parents, two sisters, Elizabeth and Genevieve Hein and two brothers, Edward and Wilfred Hein.