A funeral service for Richard “Dick” Jurgens will be held on Tuesday, October 4, 2022, at 10:30 a.m. at the Holcomb Evangelical Free Church in rural Holdrege, Nebraska, with Pastor Randy Simmons officiating. Interment will follow at the Moses Hill Cemetery in rural Phelps County, Nebraska.
The service will be recorded and posted to the Nelson-Bauer Funeral Homes Facebook page.
Richard “Dick” Jurgens, 89 years of age, of Holdrege, entered Heaven’s Gates on Thursday, September 29, 2022. He was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma cancer in May and had been cared for at Christian Homes Care Community in Holdrege. Dick was born on May 8, 1933, at home on the family farm, northwest of Holdrege, the second of three children, born to Samuel and Mabel (Knull) Jurgens.
Growing up Dick raised corn, cattle, a few pigs, and chickens. Dick attended District #72 Capitol Grade School, the country school a mile south of the farm, and he graduated from Holdrege High School, with the class of 1950. Following his education, Dick began farming with his father.
On August 16, 1953, he was united in marriage to Lois Holen of Bertrand at Westmark Church in rural Loomis, Nebraska. They were blessed with four children: Rickie John, who died in infancy, Vickie Lee, Joyce Elaine, and Gary Ray. The family resided in a small home just a few feet from the Jurgens farmhouse. The Jurgens Family Farm was honored with the 100-year Nebraska Pioneer Farm Award in 1995. In 1969, Dick and Lois bought Holdrege Soft Water. In 1972, they retired from farming and ran the soft water business full-time, eventually working alongside and selling to Gary. Dick appreciated all of his many customers and the friendship he received as he visited in their homes.
Dick was a faithful lifelong member of Holcomb Evangelical Free Church where he was confirmed as a teen and baptized in the summer of 2021. He was the Sunday School superintendent for many years and served on the church board in various positions including Chairman and Financial Secretary. Dick and Lois were youth sponsors in their younger years.
He was proud to have been a lifelong resident of Phelps County and was involved in many areas of the community, including serving as the County Supervisor for 10 years, a member of the Phelps County Senior Center board, and volunteering for Meals-on-Wheels. In June 2012, Dick and Lois were honored to be crowned Swedish Days King and Queen.
He liked traveling with friends and family in the U.S. and abroad. Dick enjoyed fishing, hunting, being at the Y, and drinking coffee with his buddies. He played pool at the Phelps County Senior Center with his many friends. In recent years, he thoroughly enjoyed driving cars with the automobile transport team of Janssen’s car dealership. Dick was always ready with a good joke/story or prank, but most of all, Dick loved to attend his grandchildren’s activities.
Meeting him at Heaven’s Gates are his parents, infant son, Rickie; grandson, Cody Jurgens; two sisters: infant Winfred (Winnie); and Iola Kegley and her husband, Marvin.
Survivors include his wife of 69 years, Lois Jurgens of Holdrege; two daughters: Vickie Stepanich and her husband, Jim of Lincoln, Nebraska; and Joyce Lockman and her husband, Bob of Wheatland, Wyoming; grandson, Kelly Lockman and his wife, Sabrena; great-grandson, Wrangler of Wheatland; granddaughter, Melanie Braatz; and great-grandson, Braxton of Topeka, Kansas; great-granddaughter, Tierra, and great-great-granddaughter, Laraiah of Rock Springs, Wyoming; son, Gary Jurgens and his wife, Rochelle of Johnson Lake, Nebraska; grandsons, Alex and his fiancé, Katelyn of Austin, Texas; and Taylor and his wife, Bailey of Santa Fe, New Mexico; plus many in-laws, nieces, nephews, cousins, family, and many friends.
Visitation will be held on Monday, October 3, 2022, from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the Nelson-Bauer Funeral Home in Holdrege, with the family greeting from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
In lieu of flowers, memorials will be designated for Holdrege Senior Center, Meals on Wheels, and Holcomb Evangelical Free Church.
Expressions of caring and kindness can be sent to the family at www.nelsonbauerfh.com
The Nelson-Bauer Funeral Home in Holdrege is in charge of the arrangements.