Richard Fehner

Richard Fehner, age 86 of Northfield, passed away Thursday, November 5, 2009 at Abbott Northwestern Hospital in Minneapolis. Funeral Services will be 11:00 am Monday, November 9th at Trinity Lutheran Church in Northfield with visitation Sunday from 2-5:00 pm at the Bierman Funeral Home in Northfield and 1 hour prior to Services at the Church on Monday. Burial at the Rolling Green Cemetery of rural Northfield.

Richard Edwin Fehner was born January 9, 1923 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, son of Reverend Alvin and Agnes (Walther) Fehner, the oldest of three sons. When Dick was 6 weeks old, his father accepted a call from a Lutheran congregation in Duluth where Dick spent his childhood and graduated from Duluth Denfield High School. He attended St. Olaf College before entering the United States Army, where he served in France and Germany during WW II. He returned from the war to graduate from St. Olaf and began teaching English there.

On August 2, 1949, he married Eileen Alice Schrader at Trinity Lutheran Church in Northfield. Dick and Eileen moved out to California, where they received their Masters degrees at the University of California (Berkeley). They returned to teach at St. Olaf-Dick in English and Eileen in French and Spanish. In addition Dick finished his doctoral program and received his PhD from the University of Minnesota. Dick thoroughly enjoyed the St. Olaf community and the students in his classes, which focused on 16th through 18th century British literature, but also included American fiction and Native American literature. He retired after 37 years of teaching at St. Olaf.

Dick and Eileen built their home in Northfield in 1962, becoming especially close friends of their neighbors, David and Mary Ann Emery. He loved to read and collected a large library of books of all topics and ages. He enjoyed fishing and simply being out on the lake, noting that some of the best days were when he didn’t catch anything, and that “I had a lot of good days” in that respect. In retirement, Dick and Eileen could be found at the Ole Store almost every day, enjoying their coffee and friends. He was known and will be remembered for his devotion to his family, his kindness, and his excellent sense of humor.

Richard Fehner is survived by his wife Eileen; son Michael Fehner and wife Jeannie Su of Orange County, Ca; grandchildren Zachary and Nicole; brothers Jim of Las Vegas and Bob of St Paul. He was preceded in death by his parents.

Funeral arrangements by the Bierman Funeral Home of Northfield.