Richard Kenneth Gustafson, 85

Published 9:39 am Thursday, April 7, 2016

Richard Kenneth Gustafson, 85, of Austin, Minnesota, died Tuesday, April 5, 2016, at Mayo Clinic Hospitals – St. Marys Campus in Rochester, Minnesota.

Richard Kenneth Gustafson, 85

Richard, the youngest of four children, was born Sept. 28, 1930, in Duluth, Minnesota, to Carl and Alma (Erickson) Gustafson. He graduated from Duluth Denfeld High School in 1949. He joined the U.S. Air Force in 1950 and served at the Rhein-Main Air Base in Frankfurt Germany until his discharge in 1954. After his service, Richard attended UMD and worked in Duluth. He graduated from Dunwoody in Minneapolis in 1957.

Richard married Virginia (Ginny) Hansen in Duluth on Aug. 26, 1961. He re-enrolled at UMD, graduating in 1964 with a degree in industrial arts. After graduation, he accepted a job teaching auto mechanics at the Austin Vo-Tech. He enjoyed many years in the classroom, retiring in 1995.

He had many hobbies. Richard enjoyed restoring Studebakers, first a ’49 Champion convertible and then a ’61 hard top Hawk that he was very proud to win a national and grand championship. His favorite room was his shop and he enjoyed working with wood. Richard built furniture, toys, carved Christmas Santas, snowmen, model ships and model cars. His model of the ship of the “America” is shown in the North Shore Commercial Fishing Museum in Tofte, Minnesota. He loved giving his projects to others.

Richard loved to travel. He and Ginny traveled the U.S. and the world. He was proud to have been to all seven continents including Antarctica. The animals were wonderful, but the seas were rough. They attended over 27 Elderhostels all over the U.S.

He was an active member of First United Methodist Church and a member of the choir for many years. He appreciated the faith, fellowship and friends of the church, especially the Questers group.

He was preceded in death by his parents; brother Raymond (Edna) Gustafson; brothers-in-law, Arne Krabbe, Alan Forsman, Keith Anderson; and sister-in-law Mary Lou Hansen.

Richard is survived by his wife, Virginia (Ginny) Gustafson, Austin, Minnesota; daughters, Elaine (Phil) Schmidt, Lake City, Minnesota, and Joanne (John) Stillman, Cedar Falls, Iowa; grandchildren, Abigail and Elizabeth Schmidt, and Annalisa, Kerstin and Bryce Stillman; sisters, Helen Forsman (Don Kirkland), Florida, and Dorothy Krabbe, Duluth, Minnesota; sister-in-law Karen Anderson, Duluth, Minnesota; Lori Gustafson, Florida; brothers-in-law, David Hansen, Clitherall, Minnesota, and Richard (Janyce) Hansen, Merrifield, Minnesota.

A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, April 9, 2016, at First United Methodist Church with the Rev. Dennis Tamke officiating. Interment will be at the Minnesota State Veterans Cemetery in Preston at a later date. Austin Post No. 91 American Legion is in charge of military rites. Visitation will be at the church one hour before the service. Memorials may be sent to First United Methodist Church in Austin or to the Tofte Historical Society, Box  2312, Tofte, MN 55615. Clasen-Jordan Mortuary is in charge of arrangements.