Richard "Dick" Lien

Richard “Dick” Lien, 91, Stickney, SD, died Friday, April 12, 2019 at the Bowdle Nursing Home. Funeral services will be 11:00 A.M., Wednesday, April 17, 2019 at St. Paul Lutheran Church, Stickney, with Pastor Alois and Deacon Laurel Vogl officiating. Interment, with military rites by the Stickney Legion Post, follows at Silver Ridge Cemetery, Stickney, Organist will be Virginia Matlock and the congregation will sing Dick’s mom’s favorite song “What a Friend We Have in Jesus” and “Just As I am”. Violinist Kennedi Lien will perform “”Amazing Grace” and a recording of “I Can Only Imagine” will be played. Ushers will be Ralland Bartelt and Ben Matzner.

Visitation will be from 5:00-7:00 PM Monday at Lien Funeral Home, Bowdle, and from 5:00-7:00 PM Tuesday at Koehn Bros. Funeral Chapel, Stickney.

Richard Joseph Lien, youngest child of Matilda (Jeske) and Ole K. Lien, was born August 19, 1927 at his parent’s farm 12 miles NW of Wadena, MN. He was brought up on the farm and attended the Wild Rose District #34 schoolhouse in Rockwood TWSHP through 8th grade. He attended high school in Sebeka, MN and Bristol, SD. Dick served his country in the United States Navy, being inducted July 3, 1945. Following his honorable discharge on July 27, 1946 he earned his GED and enrolled at the Minnesota School of Business for one year. As Dick reflected on the valuable assistance the Wadena funeral director provided his family he decided to enroll in the University of Minnesota Mortuary Science Program. Dick married Barbara Reinarz at Littlefork, MN on June 25,1949. He graduated from the U of M in 1950 and he and Barb moved to Mobridge, SD where Dick was employed at Larson Furniture and Funeral Home. In 1953, the Liens relocated to Stickney where Dick took a funeral director position with Unger Funeral Home and started Lien Furniture. Dick eventually purchased the funeral home. The businesses Dick and Barb were involved with were Lien Furniture, Lien Funeral Home, and Lien Ambulance Service. Dick was a member of St. Paul Lutheran Church where he served on the council and was on the new church building committee. He was also active in the Dittrick-Barrows-Noldner American Legion Post 26, Stickney, SD where he was chaplain for many years. He was active in many community affairs including various stints as mayor of Stickney. His hobbies included motorcycling, bowling, and Norwegian humor. Dick and Barb relinquished the ambulance service in 1972, retired from the furniture business in 1991, and sold the funeral home in 1997. They remained living in Stickney until May 2013 when they relocated to the Bowdle Nursing Home.

Dick is survived by three sons--Greg (Pat) Lien and Brett (Sharlene) Lien of Sioux Falls, SD and Scott (Gale) Lien of Bowdle; two daughters--Becky (John) Neuheisel of Plankinton, SD and Beth (Larry) Jurgensen of Chamberlain, SD; 13 grandchildren—Heather Elbert of Algona, Iowa, Joey Jurgensen, Jeffrey Lien, Bailey Lien, Seth Lien and Kennedi Lien all of Sioux Falls, Alicia Williams of Phoenix, AZ, Elliot Neuheisel of O’Neill, NE, Tanner Jurgensen of Rapid City, SD, Shonda Kelly Stationed at Mountain Home Air Force Base in Idaho, Dusti Livingston of Marshall, MN, and Aaron Lien and Lydia Lien of Bowdle; and 14 great grandchildren—Trevor, Trey, Tristen, Katherine, Kennedy, Brianna, Rachel, Hayden, Hudson, Nova, Reese, Landon, Piper, and Brogen.

In addition to Barb, who preceded him in death on October 17, 2015, Dick was preceded in death by his father on October 30, 1942, his mother on September 4, 1947, one infant son (Jeffrey Lien), three brothers (Carl, George, and Paul), and eight sisters (Hulda Olson, Ida Barett, Mabel Nicholson, Ethel Ross, Esther Goldsmith, Nina Olson, Florence Benedict and Ruth Campbell); and one grandson (Jeremy Lien).

Casketbearers will be Dick’s grandsons—Tanner, Elliot, Jeff, Seth, and Aaron as well as his nephew, Gordon Sorensen, of Wadena.

Services are in care of Lien Funeral Home, Bowdle.

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