RICHARD KAFKA

Funeral Mass for Richard “Dick” Kafka, 83, of Wagner were held Saturday, September 28 at the Assumption Catholic Church in Dante. Burial was in St. Mary’s Catholic Cemetery, rural Dante. Crosby-Jaeger Funeral Home in Wagner was in charge of arrangements.

Richard “Dick” Kafka died on September 24, 2019 in Wagner, at the Wagner Community Memorial Hospital. He was born on July 22, 1936 in Wagner, the youngest son of Gwyneth (McMartin) and Thomas Kafka.

Dick attended country school in Dante and Lawrence Township through the eighth grade. Dick married Clara Beeson on September 25, 1956 in Dante. They farmed southeast of Wagner until they moved to town in 1984. He and his wife then operated K’s Qwik Stop until retiring in 2001.

Dick was a lifetime collector of many different things. He loved to make deals buying, selling and trading his treasures. He was especially known as a collector of local historical artifacts, guns and traps. He enjoyed telling stories about his collections.

Dick was a longtime member of the Knights of Columbus, holding numerous leadership positions. He was a member of the South Dakota Army National Guard. He was instrumental in the building of the CCD Center in Dante and taught CCD classes and was a lector for many years in the Dante church. Dick also served on the Wagner cemetery board and was a member of the Charles Mix County Historical Society and the 1st U.S. Infantry of Ft. Randall of Dakota Territory.

Dick is survived by his wife Clara, his ten children: Richard (Roberta) of Gregory, Dan (Arlis) of Wagner, Tom (Vanessa) of Mitchell, Jeff (Brynn) of Wentworth, Ron (Lynda) of Wagner, Lisa (Del) of Moville, IA, Jerry (Sherrie) of Piedmont, Julie (Stacey) of Avon, Jay (Kim) of Wagner, and Joe (Kristi) of Wagner, his 31 grandchildren, his 16 great-grandchildren, along with numerous nieces and nephews. His surviving in-laws include Delores Kafka of Yankton, Thomas Beeson of Wagner, Donna Beeson of Sequim, WA, Bev Beeson of Wagner, Larry and Sylvia Beeson of Wagner, Francis and JoAnn Beeson of Dante, and Irene and Jim Mullen of Carrollton, TX.

Dick was preceded in death by an infant son, his parents, his brothers William and Robert, and in-laws Candy Kafka, Alice Beeson, Delbert and Arlene Bee-son, Robert Beeson, Buster Bee-son, Ann Kafka Schmuck, and Richard and Darlene Beeson.