Funeral services for Richard Zwaschka, 83, of Comfrey, Minnesota, will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Friday morning, January 23, 2015, at St. Paul’s Catholic Church in Comfrey. The church is located at 218 Field Street North.
Interment will be in the church cemetery, located at Highway #258 North in rural Comfrey.
Father Andy Michels will officiate at the services.
Visitation will be from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Thursday, January 22, 2015, at Sturm Funeral Home-Comfrey Chapel, located at 101 Field Street North. A parish prayer service will be at the funeral home at 6:45 p.m. A second visitation will be from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. on Friday morning, January 23, 2015, at the funeral home.
Richard Zwaschka passed away on Monday, January 19, 2015 in New Ulm.
Richard George Zwaschka was born on November 25, 1931 in Mulligan Township, Brown County, the son of George and Rose (Prokosch) Zwaschka. He attended country school for three years and then attended St. Paul’s Catholic School in Comfrey. Richard later attained his G.E.D. while serving with the United States Army from 1954 to 1956.
He was united in marriage to Cecilia Suess on April 24, 1956 at St. Paul’s Catholic Church in Comfrey. The couple farmed their entire married life on a farm east of Comfrey. Richard served on St. Paul’s Parish Council, St. Paul’s School Board, the Building Committee and helped build the new church in 1949.
He learned to pilot an airplane at the age of 16, played baseball for many years and coached his sons in Bi-County baseball. He also was a member of the Comfrey American Legion Post.
Richard was always available wherever and whenever help was needed. His family and faith were very important to him and he especially enjoyed spending time with his grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
He is survived by his wife, Cecelia of Comfrey; children, Robert Zwaschka of Comfrey, Mark (Jessica) Zwaschka of Spearfish, South Dakota and their children, Zachary and Alexandra, Steve (Brenda) Zwaschka of St. Joseph, Missouri and their children, Justin and Marliss, Julie (Kevin) Fossum of Burnsville, Minnesotea and their children, Nicole and Kristin and Sarah (Devin) McGuire of Burnsville and their children, Jill (Brandon) Marshik, Justin, Jordynn and Jessica; great-grandchildren, Cylie and Audrie Marshik; sisters, Sylvia Sellner of Mankato, Minnesota, Phyllis Mathiowetz of Hopkins, Minnesota, Winnifred Mathiowetz of Sleepy Eye, Minnesota and Rita (Robert) Rivard of Eden Prairie, Minnesota; sisters-in-law, Rosella Windschitl of Sleepy Eye, Marge Prokosch of Comfrey, Marie (Walt) Evers of Comfrey, Verna Suess of Sleepy Eye, Connie Suess of Butterfield, Minnesota, Martha (Wendell) Fredin of Comfrey and Mary Ann (Dennis) Schumacher of Comfrey and brother-in-law, Roman (Betty) Zwaschka of Butterfield.
Preceding him in death were his parents; brothers-in-law, Tony Mathiowetz, Art Mathiowetz, Norbert Sellner, Donald Suess, James Suess, Norbert Suess, Alfred Suess, Tom Prokosch, Sylvester Windschitl, Donald Lowinske and Pete Svoboda and sisters-in-law, Delores Zwaschka, Leona Suess, Hildegard Lowinske and Adeline Svoboda.