Roland’s Obituary Roland Lester Oelrichs, 88, of Mora, passed away Saturday, January 12, 2019, at the Good Samaritan Care Center, Cole Camp. He was born on September 10, 1930, at the family home near Mora, Missouri, a son of Grover Fredrich and Anna “Maggie” Margaretha (VonHolten) Oelrichs. He was baptized on October 19, 1930 at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church at Lake Creek and attended Bunker Hill School.
On July 9, 1944, he was confirmed at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Cole Camp. On November 9, 1952, at Blackwater Chapel in LaMonte, Missouri, he was united in marriage to Fern Clevenger. This union was blessed with the gift of three children, Randy, Tom, and Susan.
Roland served his country honorably in the United States Navy on the USS Lloyd Thomas during the Korean War. He completed boot camp on the Great Lakes near Chicago and after graduating, moved to Boston, Massachusetts, where he was stationed at New Port, Rhode Island. After his discharge from the military, he moved back to his home place near Mora and lived there while building a new home just south on the VonHolten Farm.
Roland started O-Rich Dairy Farm on his grandparents’ farm which grew to include both of his sons, Randy and Tom as well as his grandson, Russ and was proud of the fact that it was a “Century” farm. At the age of 62, he retired so that he was able to work in his wood shop, where he did woodworking full time making grandfather clocks out of native wood from the farm for his children and grandchildren. He was a faithful member of St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Cole Camp, where he served in various leadership positions, including church council, council secretary, and Sunday school superintendent.
He was also a delegate for the Mid-America Dairymen, a board member of the Benton County R-1 School and Good Samaritan Care Center, a member of the American Legion Post No. 305 and Grin-n-Squares Square Dance Club, and a 4H project leader. He loved turning wood into furniture, clocks, novelties and weaving baskets.
He enjoyed going to square dances with his wife Fern, they even went square dancing in Germany, and getting together with family and friends for food, games, cards, and visiting. He is survived by: his wife, Fern Oelrichs; two sons, Randy Oelrichs and his wife Linda and Tom Oelrichs and his wife Kathy, all of Mora; his daughter, Susan Rusk and her husband Todd of Mora; two sisters, Florine Hobein of Cole Camp and ElVera Zimmerschied and her husband Don of Mora; a sister-in-law, Irene Oelrichs of Sedalia; eight grandchildren, Russell Oelrichs and his wife Wendy, Kyle Oelrichs and his wife Katie, Clark Oelrichs and his wife Christine, Emily Kullman and her husband Eric, Erin Oelrichs, Allen Oelrichs and his wife Christina, Tyler Rusk, and Brendan Rusk and fiancé Darian; and nine great-grandchildren, Ava, Dane, Connor Evan, Allison, Grant, Hudson, Ainsley, Cooper, and Jaxon. He was preceded in death by his parents, Grover and Maggie Oelrichs, and two brothers, Allen Oelrichs and Robert Oelrichs.
Funeral services will be held at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, January 19, 2019, in the sanctuary of St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, Cole Camp, with Pastor Stephen Zeller officiating. Burial will be in Memorial Cemetery, Cole Camp, with military honors by the American Legion Post No. 305 of Cole Camp.
The family will receive friends from 10:30 – 12 p.m. on Saturday in the chapel at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church with luncheon to follow in the fellowship hall. The family suggests memorial contributions be given to St. Paul’s New Building Fund in care of the Fox Funeral Home, Cole Camp. Pallbearers will be Russ Oelrichs, Kyle Oelrichs, Clark Oelrichs, Eric Kullman, Allen Oelrichs, Tyler Rusk, and Brendan Rusk.
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