Richard Bloedau
Richard Bloedau, 85, of Norman, Oklahoma, died Wednesday, August 17, 2005, in Norman, Oklahoma. Funeral Services will be held at 10:00 A.M., Saturday, August 20, 2005, at Havenbrook Funeral Home Chapel with Reverend David Poteet and Chaplain Harry Smith officiating. Interment will follow at Noon, Saturday, at Resurrection Cemetery in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Services are under the direction of Havenbrook Funeral Home of Norman, Oklahoma. Richard was born in Bismarck, North Dakota on February 3, 1920. He was the youngest of eight children. His father was a circuit minister and was often gone for 3-4 days a week preaching. His family had a wheat farm and the whole family worked it. Upon graduation Richard went to work for the Civil Conservation Corps building dams and planting wheat at a game refuge. He then attended college for one year in Lemar, Iowa. When his father retired, he went to work on the farm for three years until he was drafted into the army in 1941. Assigned to Shepherd Air Force Base in Wichita Falls, Texas, he became an airplane mechanic with the 301st Bomb Group, 32nd Squadron serving in England, North Africa, and Italy. Richard was crew chief and mechanic on B-17 aircraft. Upon his return to the States he was assigned to inspect B-29 aircraft in Grand Island, Nebraska.
He married Phyllis Kraus in 1944 and they had two sons, Rick, born in 1945 and Ray, born in 1952. As a supervisor on concrete crews that built dams and powerhouses, Richard and his young family moved yearly until 1965 when they settled in Oklahoma City. After a year and a half serving in Vietnam in 1970 and 1971, he returned to Oklahoma and went to work for the State of Oklahoma as a highway and bridge inspector. Later he was assigned to manage a highway maintenance yard and remained there until his retirement in 1985. He met Madeline while they were both caring for loved ones at a nursing home. He married Madeline in 1981, after the death of his wife. They were long time members of St. Luke's Methodist Church, serving in many administrative offices there. He was also a long time member of the Young Men's Club, the Regency Dinner-Dance Club, and was president of his Sunday School Class. Richard also volunteered as a driver for the American Cancer Society for twelve years. He was a master woodworker and enjoyed spending time with his family. Since moving to Norman he has been a member of Bridgeview Methodist Church. Richard was preceded in death by his first wife, Phyllis, and two sons, Rick and Ray Bloedau. Survivors include his wife, Madeline, of Norman; two daughters, Melody Atteberry, husband, Bruce and their children, Max and Macy, all of Goldsby, and Joy Reardon and children, Auburn and Alyssa, all of Plano, TX; two sons, Clark Lusk and wife, Grace, of C'oeur'd Alene, and their children, Shep and Chris, and Larry Lusk and wife, Vicky, of Tulsa, OK, and their children, Berrie and Mike; sisters and brothers-in-law; Gale and Elaine Rycroft of Oklahoma City, OK and Jack and June Carpenter, of Stroud, OK; two granddaughters, Katie Haney, of Tennessee and Noelle Benton of Arkansas; and five great-grandchildren. Memorial contributions may be made to the Heartland Hospice, 623 N. Porter Ave, Norman, OK 73071. Send condolences online at: http://www.havenbrookfuneralhome.com/Obituaries.html
http://files.usgwarchives.org/ok/cleveland/obits/abc/b4300015.txt
Sgt. Richard K Bloedau was assigned to the 301st BG 32nd Squadron.
Military Occupational Specialty (MOS): Crew Chief - Mechanic.
4/6/1943 Richard was listed on a roster of personnel assigned to the 301st Bombardment Group on this date, 6 April 1943, when they were awarded a Presidential Unit Citation (PUC). PUC 25-Feb-44 Richard was listed on a roster of personnel assigned to the 301st Bombardment Group, on this date, 25 Feb. 1944, when they were awarded a Presidential Unit Citation (PUC). PUC 4/6/1943 Richard was listed on a roster of personnel assigned to the 301st Bombardment Group, on this date, 6 April 1943, when they were awarded a Presidential Unit Citation (PUC). PUC 2/May/1942 2-May-42
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