Richard Eugene Osman, age 78 of Battle Lake, Minnesota, lost his battle with cancer on June 10, 2010 and died at home in the loving care of his family.
Rich was born July 1, 1931 to
Roy
and
Pearl
(Keller) Osman in
Minot
,
North Dakota
.
Rich graduated from
Minot
High School
in 1949 and has maintained a Round Robin correspondence with those friends ever since.
Rich attended two years at
Minot
State
, and continued at ND Agricultural College (now NDSU.) Rich earned a Mechanical Engineering degree in 1954.
It was at NDAC that he met Ila Mae Langseth, his lifelong love.
They were married in Wahpeton, ND on June 17, 1956.
They lived in the
Minneapolis
area where Rich was employed at Northern Ordnance.
He took an engineering position at Honeywell, Inc. in 1960.
In 1974 seven Honeywell employees, including Rich, moved to
Colorado Springs
to open a new plant for manufacturing silicon chips with various industrial uses.
While he was with Honeywell he made several trips to
China
to help develop their solid state electronics industry.
Rich retired from Honeywell in 1989.
Every weekend from 1980 until 1986 was spent purchasing lumber and hauling it over
Wilkerson
Pass
west of
Colorado Springs
to build a cabin near
Hoosier
Pass
and
Breckenridge
,
CO
.
Dreams were realized and pleasant occasions made memorable at that cabin – family gatherings every Christmas without fail, and skiing, snowmobiling, motorcycling, and hiking.
A trip to
Hawaii
in 1975 piqued their adventurous spirit, and they then journeyed to
Norway
in 1986,
China
in 1991,
France
in 1996,
Alaska
in 1999,
Spain
in 2001, and Australia/New Zealand in 2002, spending about a month in each foreign country.
While they lived in
Fridley
, they often traveled the road to Wahpeton, and visited friends on
Battle
Lake
.
In 1971 they purchased their lake lot on North Point, and started construction in 1991.
Even though their children were firmly rooted miles away, “The Lake” has been the center of family activity since 1971, enjoyed by grandkids since 1989, every year.
Community involvement and church work were second nature to Rich.
Rich’s Dad was a miller in
Minot
, so when he heard about Phelps Mill he wanted to learn more, and he did.
He has been honored for his commitment to preservation and interpretation of Phelps Mill as a historical site.
Rich has worked with Lions, the Battle Lake Community Fund, and Art of the Lakes Gallery renovation.
He served on the building committee for First Lutheran Church of Battle
Lake
.
Rich enjoyed square dancing, sharing pictures on cds for friends, reading, fixing most anything, and golfing with the guys.
A special highlight was the celebration of Rich and Ila’s 50
th
anniversary with all the family present at
Medora
,
ND
, in keeping with his strong interest in history.
Rich and his brother James shared an avid interest in genealogy, enriching the family’s appreciation for their heritage.
He is survived by his wife Ila, daughters Terryl of Milwaukee, WI, Joan (Tom) Ihrig of Steamboat
Springs, CO, Laurel (Michael) McGowan of
Elbert
,
CO
, and son Lee (Lisa) of
Morrison
,
CO
.
Grandchildren Kristina and Katelyn Ihrig, Maggie and Bekah McGowan, Celia, Graham, and Karlee Osman.
Sister Donna (Ronald) Hensen of
Glenburn
,
ND
, as well as many nieces, nephews, and cousins who also love Rich.
He was preceded in death by his parents and two brothers, H. Lewis and James R. Osman.
