Richard Dill

Richard Dill, 70, of Granite Falls passed away at his home on Friday December 27, 2024. There will be a small memorial service at the Granite Falls United Church of Christ (Congregational) on Saturday, January 11, 2025, at 2:00 p.m. and his ashes will be scattered at some of his favorite places.

Richard Arlen Dill was born in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania on August 5, 1954 to Shirley (Powell) and Robert Dill. He died peacefully at home in Granite Falls, MN with his beloved wife, Karen, and daughter, Amber, at his side after a long battle with cancer on December 27, 2024. 

Rich grew to adulthood in Bethel Park, a suburb of Pittsburgh. He loved sports and kept track of the NFL standings and his favorite Pittsburgh Steelers. Rich also loved music and played saxophone in high-school, went to many concerts in Pittsburgh and told tales of the shenanigans he got into with friends, such as swimming in a big fountain outside the stadium or rolling each other down the street with a fire hose that they liberated from its duty station. 

Rich was a natural-born do-it-yourself kind of guy, learning to repair his mother’s car on the street and trapping critters in the woods on his way to and from school each day. After high-school he learned welding, pipe-fitting and blueprint reading. He was very proud of those skills and kept up with new techniques. He enjoyed technology of all sorts and often would take classes just because. At one point he was studying aviation maintenance, another time he got his boiler certification. 

Richard was a hard worker, he helped build oil-rigs in Wyoming and elsewhere. He built fire engines and large service vehicles, could do hydraulics and refurbish railroad cars. Rich had his own welding and repair shop in Castlewood, SD. He would fearlessly climb tall towers to weld wind turbines or large steel bins. He also did industrial plant maintenance, working at Schwan’s and ADM in Marshall, MN. He preferred working at jobs that called for a variety of skills, not line-work.

Rich had a deep spiritual faith and trust in his Higher Power. He enjoyed his meditation time and studying the scriptures. He chose to be baptized when he joined the Granite Falls United Church of Christ.

Richard was preceded in death by his grandparents, mother Shirley (Powell) Dill, father Robert Dill, several uncles, his ex-wife Rhonda Schepker, a best friend and brother-in-law Boyd Gregg, and his mother-in-law Elizabeth Schmidt. 

He is survived by his wife Karen Schmidt-Dill, beloved daughter Amber Dill, sons Eric and Michael, daughters Kalinda Cuny and Heather Douglass. He is also survived by 8 grandchildren, his sister Karen Schaldenbrand, nephew Josh Schaldenbrand, niece Sara Libert, and several great nieces and nephews. Rich would also include his dogs, Dayton and Marcy. (Rich would have listed them at the beginning.)

Memorials should be made out to Avera Hospice in Marshall, MN or to Let Love Live MN, a dog rescue shelter in Wadena, MN.