Richard Marvin Harold
Herman — Richard Marvin Harold, 59, died Feb. 2, 2007, at Memorial Community Hospital in Blair.
Marvin battled cancer in 2001 and again in 2006.
A memorial gathering was Feb. 6 at Pelan Funeral Services, Tekamah.
Memorial services will be at 10:30 a.m., Feb. 7, at the Legion Hall, Herman, with Rev. Philip Sloat officiating and Military Honors by the Jackson Peck American Legion Post No. 274.
Burial will be in the Tekamah Cemetery.
Pallbearers will be Rodger Austin, Randy Olson, Jim Cornish, John Potadle, Don Donnelly, Frank Korshoj, Mike McMullen, Ralph Devney and Ron Hoffman.

Richard Marvin Harold was born Aug. 18, 1947, in Council Bluffs, Iowa, to Richard Dean and Georgia (Reafling) Harold. He was the second oldest of seven children. His family lived in several small towns in Iowa and Nebraska before settling in Tekamah, where Marvin graduated from Tekamah High School in 1965. He joined the Air Force in 1965 and was stationed at Udorn Royal Thai Air Force Base in Thailand for many years. He was a refrigeration and air conditioning tech, rising to Staff Sergeant E 5. He learned to both read and write the Thai language. He was heavily involved in martial arts while overseas, earning a second degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do. He remained in Thailand after his honorable discharge in 1973 and returned to the United States in 1975.

He attended Metropolitan Technical Community College, receiving an associate degree in air conditioning, heating and refrigeration in 1977 and an associate degree in civil engineering technology in 1981.

In 1977, Marvin went to work for the Burt Washington Drainage District as a heavy equipment operator. He took over as superintendent in 1986 and remained with the Drainage District for 30 years. He worked closely with the Board of Directors, farmers, landowners and a dedicated crew to maintain water flow from the hills east to the Missouri River between Decatur and Blair.

Marvin met his wife Teri (Park) in 1987 in Omaha where they had a shared interest in biking. They married in 1993, raising Teri’s son, John Molloy, then nine years old. They lived in Herman for 14 years where Marvin lovingly tended his beautiful garden and slowly worked on repairing and maintaining the historic accuracy of the house he loved.

He was active in the community, serving as the chairman of the Herman Village board for more than five years and on the Logan East Rural Water System Advisory Board. 

He loved reading, music, history, gardening, antiques, bicycling, camping, canoeing, dancing, firearms, knives, movies, the outdoors, watching the sun rise each morning and set each evening and gazing at the stars late at night. He also loved his Labrador dogs, Lucy and Mattie.

He was a member of Mensa and loved to travel. He and Teri went on a vacation every year. He loved the history of the West and spent many hours studying the Lewis and Clark Expedition.

Marvin is survived by his wife, Teresa June “Teri” Harold, Herman; step son, John J. Molloy III, Omaha; a daughter and son-in-law, Desere and Charles Howard; grandchildren, Victoria, Gavin and Mary Elizabeth, great-grandchildren, Michael and Vincent, all of Stuart, Fla.; a son, John; parents, Georgia and Richard “Dick” Harold, Fremont; sisters and spouses, Ann and Richard Woodcock, Arlington; Merna and Steve Bowman, Riverside, Iowa; Valerie and James Kjeldgaard, Fremont; brothers and spouses, Roger and Jackie Harold, Hartington; Gary and Betty Harold, Wynot; Ron Harold, Craig; mother- and father-in-law, Max and Ardyth Park, Bedford, Iowa; sister- and brother-in-law: Mike and Suzie Turner, Shawnee, Kan.; brother- and sister-in-law, Jim and Deb Park, Bedford; aunts and uncles, Geneva and Stanley Bomer, Daisy Reafling, Bill and Helen Reafleng, all of Pacific Junction, Iowa; and many cousins, nieces and nephews and great-nieces and nephews.

He is preceded in death by his grandparents and uncle, Bob Reafling.