Richard Holihan

SERVICES: 10:30 a.m. Saturday, August 30, 2014 at Pfannebecker Funeral Home, Denison, IowaVISITATION: From 4:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. Friday, August 29, 2014 at Pfannebecker Funeral Home, Denison, IowaBurial: Crawford Heights Memory Gardens, Denison, Iowa Richard LeRoy Holihan was born January 18, 1926, in rural Deloit, Iowa, the son of Richard Maurice Holihan and Rebecca Altha Winey Holihan. He was raised on the same farm that he was born and attended the country school in Milford Township. His high school years were spent at Deloit High School and after graduation he took agriculture classes with surrounding young farmers. In November of 1944, Richard enlisted in the United States Army and served most of his time in the Pacific around the Philippines. It was there that he received many of his medals. Richard was especially proud of his purple heart and his bronze star that he received liberating survivors of the Bataan Death March. After being discharged he came home and went into farming and sold seed corn for Pioneer and Jacobsen Seed for many years. On March 25, 1956 Richard married the love of his life, Delores Stehr, at the First United Methodist Church in Denison. He was so dedicated to his work however, that he was late for his wedding because he had work to finish first. He had very strong work ethics that he passed on to his two children they were blessed with: Vince and Jody. Eventually the family moved to their current farm at Deloit where they have resided for the past 55 years. . Richard was the type of man that would lend a helping hand to anyone in need of one and loved socializing about agriculture and farming knowledge. He also enjoyed his weekly visits to the casino, fishing, and was a true lover of animals. He was a member of the Deloit American Legion for 60 plus years and was proud of being a veteran. Richard died Tuesday evening, August 26, 2014, surrounded by his family, at the Crawford County Memorial Hospital in Denison, Iowa. At the time of his death he had attained the age of 88 years, 7 months and 8 days. Including his parents, he was also preceded in death by a sister and brother-in-law: Delores and Don O’Dell. Survivors include his wife of over 58 years, Delores Holihan of Deloit, Iowa; son, Vince and wife Patty Holihan of Denison, Iowa, daughter, Jody and husband Tom Wright of Meeker, Oklahoma; grandson, Justin Holihan of Ames, Iowa; granddaughter, Skylar Wright of Meeker, Oklahoma; brother, Mike and wife Cathy Holihan of Yuma, Arizona; other relatives and numerous friends.