Richard O. Neitzel

It is only from the perspective of time that we can see the true measure of a man. Richard Otto Neitzel was a man of great strength and great stature, but more than that, he was a man with deep moral conviction and values. Content to live a simple life, everyday he served as a living example of a loving and committed husband, a caring father, and a faithful servant of the Lord. He was immensely talented and could have used his abilities to do most anything, yet he chose to use the gifts he was blessed with to help others. He lived each day of his life to the fullest, and gave his all to live them with integrity.

As the First World War drew to an end, an era of prosperity and good fortune began in America. The automobile was driving America forward at an unprecedented speed, as cities, roadways, and homes began to appear seemingly out of nowhere. By 1920, Cleveland, Ohio was the fifth largest city in the United States and had established itself as one of the country's major manufacturing centers. Rose Labar was working in one of the city's factories to support her two daughters, Ellen and Erma, when she met a co-worker named Richard John Neitzel. Richard John and Rose married and decided to add one more child to their new family. On August 29, 1920, the couple proudly welcomed their first and only child, a son they named Richard.

Rose's two daughters Ellen and Erma were instantly smitten with their new baby brother and the older he got, the more he looked up to his big sisters. The three of them were very close and remained that way their whole lives. Richard also met some boys in his neighborhood who would become lifelong friends. As young boys they started a club, and like the popular television show "The Little Rascals," they gave themselves a name. Dubbing themselves the "Rinky-dinks," Richards's dad let them use the loft in the garage for a clubhouse. The "Rinky-dinks" remained close, but as they got older, card games, socializing, and talk of investments replaced bike rides and clubhouse meetings. When Richard entered his freshman year at East Tech High School in Cleveland, he began studying Mechanical Technology. Just like his dad, who worked as a mechanic for Buick during the depression, Richard had a talent for making things work.

Following graduation, Richard's mom decided it was time for him to get his first job so she arranged for him to drive a truck for a local dry cleaner. He hadn't been in the delivery business for long when he was offered a position at the General Electric Factory in Euclid, Ohio, making tungsten filaments for light bulbs. A short time later, America entered WWII and was in need of young men to fight overseas. Richard answered the call of his country and enlisted in the Marine Corps. During the war, Richard served as an Aircraft Mechanic. He took part in the Battle of Bougainville in Papua New Guinea, and was later stationed in California. Near the end of his tour, Richard's father crated his Harley-Davidson motorcycle and sent it to him in California, which he proudly rode home to Ohio following the famous Route 66.

Ellen Metzdorf was the sister of a man in Richard's unit and had first spotted Richard as his unit left on a train. She was instantly attracted to him, but it wasn't until after the war that their paths crossed again. Richard was dating a young lady and they met up with another couple one evening for a double date. Ellen just happened to be part of that other couple. Though they were both dating other people, the rest, as they say, is history. On September 9, 1947, Richard and Ellen became husband and wife in a ceremony at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Cleveland. After the wedding, the newlyweds set up housekeeping and started planning a family. One of the first things they needed was a new bedroom suite, and while Richard's job at General Electric paid the bills, they were still a little short. As a testament of his dedication to their marriage, Richard traded his Harley-Davidson motorcycle, for the much needed furniture.

In March of 1948 Richard and Ellen welcomed their first son, Richard, followed by Gary in 1951, Roger in 1954, Gregg in1958, and Neal in 1961. Richard was a good father and a great example for his sons. He was not only a strong man, but a man of Faith, integrity, and compassion. He and Ellen also showed their sons how to honor your mate in every way. For two weeks every summer, the GE factory would shutdown, so the family would spend that time at Ellen's Uncle John's farm in Free Soil, Michigan. They would always return home a little early so he could paint their house. They lived in Ellen's parent's former home, which was the biggest house in the neighborhood, and painting it was no small feat. While the boys were growing up, the family also did some camping at Niagara Falls and visited Ellen's brother Willis in Hartsgrove, Ohio.

From the time he was young, Richard had an almost uncanny ability to fix just about anything. At GE where he worked as a project technician, he earned the nickname "Baby Jesus" because he could fix things that no one else could. While dating Ellen, he impressed both Ellen and her mother by fixing the front doorknob of her parent's home. Using bailing wire and duct tape, he could tackle almost any project from bikes to dragster cars to school busses. Richard and Ellen were active at Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Euclid and had helped start and support their K-8 school, which all of the boys attended. Richard would volunteer his services, repairing and maintaining the boiler furnace and school busses. With the help of his sons, he was also the school's groundskeeper. Everything he did for the school was a gift and he would never accept money. This helped him teach his sons how to be a servant and that was more valuable to him than anything.

Richard was a fan of both Indy Car racing and football, especially his beloved Cleveland Browns. Even though it meant leaving the Brown's behind, when Richard retired from GE in 1980 after 40 years of service, he and Ellen built their second home in Free Soil. He loved to cut and stack firewood to heat the home and was proud to say their furnace only had 25 hours on it, which was just enough to make sure it worked. Richard also enjoyed the holidays; Christmas and Easter were his favorites because of his Christian faith, while the Fourth of July and New Years were a close second because of explosives. From potato guns to fireworks, if it exploded then he loved it. Recently his son Neal brought firecrackers over and, sure enough, Richard wanted to blow something up. He made bird houses for the backyard, and you could see the twinkle in his eye when he told Neal to blow one up. His wonderful sense of humor brought laughter, love and fun to his family in countless ways. Although they will miss him dearly, they will find joy in their memories, comfort in their faith, and peace knowing he has gone to dwell in the house of the Lord for eternity.

Richard died early Sunday morning, August 6, 2006 at Memorial Medical Center in Ludington from a heart attack. He was preceeded in death by his wife Ellen on February 1, 2002 and his sisters Ellen Stecker and Erma Effland. He will be greatly missed by his sons Richard A. (Francine) of Waianae, Hawaii, Gary B. of FreeSoil, Roger D. (Lynn) of Dickinson, Texas, Gregg B. of FreeSoil, and Neal D. (Judy) of Malvern, Ohio; his grandchildren Steffanie and Rebecca, Ryan, Jacklyn, and Philip. Funeral services will be held at 1:00 PM on Friday, August 11 at Our Savior Lutheran Church in Scottville with his pastor, the Rev. James Schroeder officiating. Burial will take place at Grant Township Cemetery. Friends may meet with his family for a time of visitation on Thursday from 2-4 and 7-9 PM at the Stephens Life Story Funeral Home in Scottville. Those who wish may make memorial contributions to Our Savior Lutheran Church. Please visit Richard's personal memory page at www.lifestorynet.com to view his Life Story Digital Film, sign the online guestbook, or leave a memory for his family.