Richard John Heyda

Richard John Heyda passed away on June 18, 2015 at Lakeside Medical Center in Pine City. Richard was born to John and Mary Heyda on November 13, 1925. He attended Washington Rural School on the St. Croix Road through the eighth grade. When Dick was young, he enjoyed talking to the old guys about farming, while the other boys played ball. He continued to talk farming, whether at the “Mill” with Ernie Broz or at the farm with Smiley. He once said, “some people like to hunt and fish, I like to farm.” Richard met Ruth Elaine Johnson and they married in 1948. Richard and Ruth bought their first farm on the St. Croix Road, for the next 67 years they made their dreams a reality. They never left each other’s side, throughout their 67 years of marriage they called each other “honey” and “dear” and never missed a good-bye kiss. They raised two daughters, Vicki and Kathy. Richard was blessed with five grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. The hardest thing about life is finding out what truly makes you happy, Dick was able to figure that out early in his life. He knew exactly what made him happy and spent the next 90 years doing exactly what he wanted. If he was here today and asked you asked him, what’s the secret to a happy life, he would simply close his eyes, shake his head and say, ‘I like to farm’. Richard is survived by his wife Ruth, daughter Vicki (Mike) Ovik of Pine City, grandchildren: Mickey (Emily) Ovik of Frederick, WI, Colee Ovik of Pine City, Kati (Joe) Dvorak of Pine City, Chance Ovik of Pine City, great-grandchildren: Tate and Aidan Ovik, Sawyer, Sullivan and Hudson Dvorak and sister Doris Johnson of Pine City. Richard is preceded in death by his parents, daughter Kathy and granddaughter Jean Marie Carlson and brother-in-law Allan Johnson. Reverend Vicki Vander Vegt officiated funeral services for Richard on Tuesday, June 23, 2015 at the Swanson Funeral Chapel in Pine City. Funeral arrangements are entrusted to the Funeral and Cremation Service of Pine City, Swanson Chapel. www.funeralandcremationservice.com