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Richard McPartland
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Memorial for Richard McPartland
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Born on Aug. 29, 1917
Departed on Jan. 7, 2010 and resided in Red Cloud, NE.
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Saturday, Jan. 16, 2010
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Red Cloud Cemetery
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Please click on the links above for locations, times, maps, and directions.
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Richard James McPartland, son of Hugh and Mary (Soucek) McPartland, was born August 29, 1917 on a farm in Webster County, Nebraska. He passed away peacefully on Thursday, January 7, 2010 at the Life Care Center of Elkhorn in Elkhorn, Nebraska at the age of 92 years.
Richard grew up on the family farm north of Red Cloud and graduated from Red Cloud High School. On August 6, 1939 he was united in marriage to Elsie Vavricka in Red Cloud. Richard and Elsie lived in Omaha, where Richard worked at the Union Pacific train yards, until he enlisted in the Army Air Corp in October 1942. He completed basic training at the Midland Army Air Field in Midland, Texas, following which he went to Amarillo, Texas to attend airplane and mechanics school. He subsequently completed courses at other Army Air Fields for airplane engine school and small arms training. Elsie moved to the various Army Air Fields in the U.S. to which Richard was sent and they made some lifelong friends in several of the locations. On New Years Eve 1943, Richard boarded the Queen Elizabeth and was shipped to England as part of the Army Air 452nd Bombardment Group. In 1945, after a 30 day leave he was to be shipped on a B29 to the Pacific Theater, but the atomic bomb was dropped during his leave and he was honorably discharged in November 1945.
Richard and Elsie returned to the Red Cloud area and spent many years farming west and south of Red Cloud. For a number of years, they maintained a large herd of Holstein dairy cattle. Richard also worked at the United States Post Office in Red Cloud for many years. In 1970 Richard retired from farming and he and Elsie moved to Red Cloud. Not one to sit idle, Richard subsequently worked as an ambulance driver and emergency medical technician for the Webster County Hospital. He was always busy and loved working in his shop; he could fix anything and made many lovely wood items. Numerous friends and relatives have pieces of furniture that he made or repaired. Richard and Elsie liked to work together to refinish furniture. Richard and Elsie also spent many weekends in Omaha attending ball games, dance recitals and other events in which their "grandchildren", Michael, James and Alex Burdyny, participated.
Richard was a lifelong member of the American Legion and the Veterans of Foreign Wars. Richard and Elsie took a number of trips to participate in reunions of the 452nd Bombardment Group. With two of his nieces, Richard attended the last reunion of the 452nd Bombardment Group, which was held in Council Bluffs, Iowa in the fall of 2008. While still in good health, having coffee and playing pool with his friends at the South bar in Red Cloud was one of the highlights of the day for Richard. Several months after Elsie's death on January 12, 2007, Richard moved to Omaha to be near family.
Richard is preceded in death by his wife Elsie, his parents, an infant brother and sister Anna Louise Kucera. Survivors include three nieces who lived with Richard and Elsie for many years, Patricia (Jim) Burdyny of Omaha, Nancy (Larry) Strawhun of Omaha, and Janet (Stan) Myhre of Tilden. Also survived by "grandchildren" Michael, James and Alex Burdyny of Omaha and David (Krista) Simonson of Denver, great "grandchildren" Grace and Katie Simonson, and numerous other nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends.
Funeral services will be held 11:00 a.m., Saturday, January 16, 2010 at the First United Methodist Church in Red Cloud with the Rev. Richard Fairbanks officiating. Interment with military graveside honors will be at the Red Cloud Cemetery.
Visitation will be held Thursday and Friday, 8:00 a.m. -8:00 p.m. at the Williams Funeral Home in Red Cloud.
Williams Funeral Home
241 West 4th Avenue
Red Cloud, Nebraska 68970
402-746-2500
williamsfuneralhomes@yahoo.com
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