Lucille Rich

Lucille Rich, age 95 of Dodge Center and formerly of the Castle Rock area, passed away Sunday, January 1, 2012 at the Fairview Care Center in Dodge Center. Funeral services will be 2:00 pm Saturday, January 7, 2012 at the Bierman Funeral Home in Northfield with burial at the Greenvale Cemetery in Castle Rock. Visitation will be held one hour prior to Services at the Bierman Funeral Home.

Lucille Marion Rich was born April 25, 1916 on a farm near Brewster, MN, daughter of John and Violetta (Drake) Gilomen. At the age of 4 her family moved to their longtime farm home near Castle Rock, MN where she was confirmed at the Castle Rock United Methodist Church on April 17, 1927. Lucille attended the Castle Rock School through 10th grade and then graduated from the Northfield High School in 1934.

She was united in marriage to John Arthur Olinger in 1934 and they made their home in Castle Rock where they raised their 5 children. This was during the Great Depression and times were hard. To make ends meet Lucille gave haircuts and perms in Castle Rock, wallpapered at numerous homes, gave piano lessons, always had a large vegetable garden, and did sewing at her home. They were faithful members of the Castle Rock Methodist Church where she played the piano and organ and taught Sunday school.

On December 16, 1956 her husband John passed away and Lucille and their daughters moved to Minneapolis where she enrolled in the Minnesota School of Business and upon completion began working for Hartford Insurance. In Minneapolis she met John Rich and they were married July 9, 1959. John was a union electrician who worked on large construction projects and they soon moved to Albuquerque, NM and then on to Dallas, TX to future employment. Lucille continued in the insurance business in both cities until retirement.

She and John enjoyed boating in Texas and camping in New Mexico where she also pursued her hobby of sketching and oil painting. In 1983 she moved to her son’s acreage near Randolph and in 1985 to Kasson where she was a member of Mt. Sion Lutheran Church and volunteered at the Kasson Library. She lived in her own home until December, 2008 when she moved to the Fairview Care Center in Dodge Center. Throughout her life she enjoyed sewing, playing the piano, puzzles, and card games.

Lucille is survived by her children Ralph (Janet) Olinger of Victoria, MN, Ron (Audrey) Olinger of Randolph, JoAnn (Ron) Davis of Eau Claire, WI and Elaine Coulter of Longboat Key, FL; 9 grandchildren; 12 great-grandchildren; sister Myrtle Holt of Farmington; brother Clifford Gilomen of Northfield and many other relatives. She was preceded in death by her parents; husbands John Olinger and John Rich; daughter Lois Blagowski; and brothers Harley, Harold, and Robert Gilomen.

Memorials to the Castle Rock United Methodist Church or the Kasson Public Library. Funeral arrangements by the Bierman Funeral Home of Northfield.