Richard Lehnherr died unexpectedly on August 18, 2024, while traveling from Kansas to North Dakota.
Services will be held at St. Paul Lutheran in Garrison on September 5 at 11:00 AM. The funeral service will be livestreamed on Thompson Funeral Homes Facebook page. Burial will follow at the North Dakota Veterans Cemetery in Mandan, ND at a later date.
It was the best of times; it was the worst of times, and then it was Richard’s time. Richard was born to Robert and Margaret (Wallace) Lehnherr on September 7, 1949, at Carswell AFB in Fort Worth, TX. He grew up in an Air Force family and moved often during his growing years. He was a 1967 graduate of Bainbridge Island High School. He attended college for a quarter but decided it was not for him.
On December 27, 1967, he enlisted in the US Air Force serving at bases in the United States, Guam, and Thailand. He worked as a Bomb Nav Systems Mechanic attaining the rank of SSGT E5. During his service he received the National Defense Service Medal, Vietnam Service Medal, Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal, AF Good Conduct Medal, and AF Longevity Service Award/one oak leaf cluster. He was honorably discharged December 9, 1974. He returned to Bainbridge Island and his dad gave him three months to find a job. He interviewed with Boeing and on March 17, 1975, he moved to Minot, ND where he began working on the second go-around of the Minuteman Missile program. Minuteman was much like the Air Force; he moved a lot.
While living in Garrison for Minuteman, he met his wife-to-be. In August of 1974 Richard met Marian. It was not love at first sight. He shopped at Johnson’s Red Owl where Grandma Emma Classon worked. Back in the days of counter checks, he wrote one and Gram asked him to print his address on the check. She sent the information to me at college and said, “he looks like a hot prospect.” Said granddaughter was twenty and had no prospects in the wind. We dated over the phone for four years, seeing each other occasionally as he moved. On August 25, 1979, Richard and Marian married at St. Paul Lutheran and then promptly moved away. On August 25, 2004, Richard returned to Garrison where Marian was living and has pitched his tent there ever since.
With the Minuteman Program winding down, Richard was hired to work as a Customer Service Rep at Boeing in the Commercial Aircraft Division. He trained and completed temporary assignments for two years. Then moving began! (Are you sensing a theme? He just couldn’t stay put.) During his Boeing years we lived in Missouri, Washington, Nevada, Pennsylvania (3x), Oklahoma, and Toronto, ON (2x). Richard retired from Boeing on October 1, 2004.
In retirement he stayed busy. Computers were his hobby, and he enjoyed helping people with theirs. He served on the Benedictine Foundation Garrison Board, ND Benedictine Communities Inc. Board, Garrison Area Improvement Association Board, Better Living for Garrison Board, St. Paul Lutheran Church Council, Camp of the Cross Endowment Board, and Garrison City Council. During winter months he traveled south to visit friends and relatives.
Richard is survived by his wife, Marian; brothers, Robert (Courtney) Lehnherr, Dickinson, TX; J. Tim Lehnherr (Debbie), Federal Way, WA; sister, Susan Holmes (Robert), Mercer Island, WA; in-laws, Harold (Sherry) Johnson, Tucson, AZ; Charles (Renee) Johnson, Garrison; Janet (Gary) Hiltner, Minot; fifteen special nieces and nephews, a bunch of great-nieces/nephews, and many cousins spread all over the place.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Robert (Marian) Lehnherr and Margaret (Jim) Benedict; brother, Richard Wayne Lehnherr; sister, Connie Ann Case; father and mother-in law, Darwin and Claryce Johnson and brother-in-law, Paul Johnson.
Richard was an organ donor. I’ve been told that his donation will help 75-100 people. We used to joke that we hoped when we died, we’d still have parts worth sharing. I’m thankful, grateful, and comforted by his gift to others.
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