Richard “Dick” Spenst, 77

A funeral service for Richard Spenst of Warroad, MN will be held on Monday, February 14, 2022 at 11:00 a.m. at Woodland Bible Church in Warroad, MN. Visitation will be from 5:00 – 7:00 p.m. on Sunday at Helgeson Funeral Home in Warroad with a prayer service at 6:00 p.m.. Interment will be held at a later date.

Richard (Dick) John Spenst was born in October of 1944 to Richard and Eileen Spenst of rural Cavalier County, ND. He died February 8, 2022 at the age of 77. He graduated from Alsen, ND, in 1962 and married Alice Medalen in March 1965.

After graduation, he worked for an area farmer, then moved to Grand Forks. While there, he worked for a grocery store, golf course, and then the city of Grand Forks. In May 1967, when they moved to Egeland, ND, he worked for an angus cattle breeder. In the fall of 1968 he became a herdsman by Forest River. He and Alice began farming near Thief River Falls, MN, in the fall of 1969, and then bought a farm southwest of Red Lake Falls in 1974 where they gradually expanded a dairy herd. Dick took several jobs off the farm during these years, while Alice and the children helped with the farm. In 1989 they sold the farm, moved to Roosevelt and began working at Marvin Windows.

Dick retired from the factory in December 2003. He helped a couple of farmers before mowing and blowing snow for the town of Roosevelt. He retired in 2017.

Dick and Alice joined the Woodland Bible Church, where he served a term on the church board and ushered. They joined Gideons International in 2004 and were involved in Scripture distributions. He served as president for several years.

Dick is survived by his wife Alice and their three children--Joan (Ken) Fournier of Bellevue, NE; Jean (Mike) Brekke of Blaine, MN; and Marty of Roosevelt. Grandchildren are Zach Fournier, Catherine Nelson, Sam Brekke, and Kendra Brekke. Preston Nelson is the only great-grandchild. Brothers surviving are Larry (Judy) Spenst of Wadena, MN; Lenard (Sharon) Spenst of Little Rock, AR; and Gary of Devils Lake, ND. One sister, Glenna Hanson, lives in Alamogordo, NM. Sister-in-law Elizabeth Spenst is in Breckenridge, MN.

He was preceded in death by his parents, brother Robert, two nephews, and sister-in-law Bridget Spenst.