Richard Schneider

Richard "Rich" Schneider, 75, of Milbank, SD, passed away on Sunday, February 9, 2025, at Avantara, in Milbank, SD. 

A memorial service will be held on Wednesday, March 19, 2025, at 10:30 a.m. at Mundwiler Funeral Home in Milbank, SD. A visitation will be held one hour prior to the service at the funeral home on Wednesday. Rev. Sandee Prouty will officiate, and burial will be held at Milbank City Cemetery.

Richard Andrew Schneider was born on August 3, 1949, in Little Falls, MN, to Andrew and Lorraine (Madsen) Schneider. He graduated from Upsala High School in 1967 and went on to earn a degrees in Electronics and also Technology. Following his education, Rich proudly enlisted in the United States Army, dedicating his life to serving his country. Throughout his time in the service, he continued to further his education, completing programs such as the Berlin Brigade School of Standards, Air Ground Specialist training, Instructor Training Course, Drug and Alcohol Counseling, and the Advanced Warrant Officer Course.

On December 2, 1972, Rich married Kathleen “Kathy” Louise Hansen in Milbank, South Dakota. They shared a beautiful life together and treasured their adventures traveling the world. Rich’s military career took him and later, him and Kathy to many places, some where he was stationed for work and others where they simply lived. These places included: Ft. Leonard Wood, MO; the Korea Demilitarized Zone; Ft. Sill, OK; Ft. Lewis, WA; and White Sands Missile Range, NM. He also served in the Gulf War and Desert Storm from 1990 to 1991 before being honorably discharged on February 2, 1993. In addition to these postings, they lived in several locations such as New Brighton, MN; Minneapolis, MN; El Paso, TX; and various places in Germany including Berlin, Augsburg, Grafenwöhr, and Baumholder.

After retiring from the military, Rich and Kathy continued their journey together, living in La Conner on Fidalgo Island, WA. They later moved to Moose Lake, MN, then St. Cloud, MN, before finally settling in Milbank, SD.

Rich was a man of many passions. He was an avid downhill skier for many years, achieving expert status in the sport. He also enjoyed walking daily and took great pleasure in woodworking, crafting beautiful pieces, including a custom sewing table for Kathy.

He is survived by his beloved wife, Kathleen “Kathy” Schneider of Milbank, SD; sisters: Olive (Ray) Manlick of Little Falls, MN; Diane Wright of Pillager, MN; and Gwen (Kelly) Kreger of Arizona; brothers: James (Lorraine) Schneider of Circle Pines, MN; and Michael (Chriss) Schneider of Illinois; as well as many cherished nieces and nephews. Rich was preceded in death by his parents: Andrew and Lorraine; his sister, Jean (Lawrence) Williams; his infant brother, Andy; and his brothers-in-law, Larry Wright and Lawrence Williams.