Richard (Dick) Harold Klein was born on November 3, 1942, the youngest of six children born to Alfons and Marcella Klein. Dick grew up on a farm outside of Earling, Iowa and attended St. Joseph Catholic School, graduating in 1960. He went on to the Universal Technical Institute in Omaha for year to become an Electrician.
Dick met the love of his life, Julie Koesters, in high school and asked her to accompany him to a dance. They married in 1962 and lived in Earling where a few years later they built a new home for their growing family, using Dick’s expertise in electrical work and overall knowledge of construction. Dick and Julie raised 7 children: Jim, Jan, Jackie, Todd, Tami, Greg, and Melissa.
Dick was a hard working man, providing for his family through owning and operating his business Klein Refrigeration and Electric. After starting out as a residential electrician, he also sold and fixed appliances, and later added his expertise in HVAC as part of his business. Dick was a reliable businessman and would always help a customer where he could no matter the hour of the day.
In the 1980s Dick and Julie purchased rental properties in Omaha and enjoyed spending weekends working on them together. Dick sold his business in 2002 and went to work for Nebraska Furniture Mart for 10 years which he really enjoyed. He loved talking to customers and selling them appliances and sometimes offering to install them as well. That’s the kind of guy he was to everyone. Dick retired fully in 2014, though his home projects or helping out his kids with something never ended.
Over his lifetime Dick enjoyed fishing trips with good friends, golfing, road-trips with his family and day trips with Julie in later years. He loved to garden, cook and grill delicious food, and do yard work his entire life. He was a handyman through and through and could figure out how to fix almost anything. In his retirement years he enjoyed walking around Menard’s home improvement store just to browse and most likely see all that had changed since his early career.
Dick was a proud Grandpa of 15 grandchildren and 10 great grandchildren. He loved giving them hugs and talking with them about their interests. He will be greatly missed by them, his children, and his life partner Julie who all depended on him for his dry sense of humor, his knowledge of all things, and his never ending loyalty.
Dick died on Sunday, January 1, 2023 at Myrtue Medical Center in Harlan, Iowa, attaining the age of eighty years, one month, and twenty-nine days. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his daughter Jackie Ann, son Greg Robert, siblings Rosemary Koppold, Bernard Klein, and Alfons Paul Klein.
He is survived by his wife Julie Klein of Earling, Iowa; children Jim (Diane) Klein of Earling, Iowa; Jan (Leo) Schwery of Earling, Iowa; Todd (Jodi) Klein of Omaha, Nebraska; Tami (Scott) Tomsu of Omaha, Nebraska; Melissa Niles of Omaha, Nebraska;15 grandchildren; 9 great grandchildren; siblings Donald (JoEllen) Klein of Dunlap, Iowa; Charles (Marie) Klein of Earling, Iowa; sister-in-law Maxine Klein of Audubon, Iowa; many nieces and nephews; other family members and friends.
Mass of Christian Burial will be Thursday, January 5th at 11AM at the St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Earling. Visitation will be Wednesday, January 4th from 5PM to 8PM with a Wake Service at 7PM at the church. Burial will be at the St. Joseph’s Cemetery. The Pauley Jones Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
