Richard Markussen

In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.?John 14:2 Richard "Dick" Markussen, 78, of Waterloo, died Saturday. He was born in Omaha on Sept. 18, 1930 to Otis and Vera Markussen. During his life, he was called by many names - husband, Dad, Grandpa and, of course, Root Beer Barrel Man. He carried the candy with him everywhere he went and wasn't shy about sharing the wealth. When eating at a restaurant, he would learn the name of the server, then ask him or her, "How many have you got working in the back?" The number he was given always matched the number of root beer barrels he produced out of his endlessly deep pockets. He also shared something much more important with those he knew - the love and salvation of Jesus Christ. When Dick was 17, he accepted Jesus as his Lord and Savior. His life had changed, so he set out changing the lives and hearts of everyone he met. It was a message he delivered every day - from the hymn stories he told every Sunday at Cedar Bible to the pin he wore on his lapel that read "Good News." Were he alive today, he would tell you to read John 14:6, Romans 3:23, Romans 6:23, I Timothy 1:15, Acts 4:10-12 and especially Hebrews 1:3. He would want your life to change, too. Dick Markussen worked at winning souls for the Lord until the day he died. His place in heaven was ready. As his family, we miss him terribly, but we know his death is just a promotion. We'll see him again one day. He leaves behind "his young bride Ruth," whom he was married to for 59 years; a brother, Robert (Judy) of Homeland, Calif.; a sister, Beverly (Tony) of Desert Springs, Calif.; four daughters, Karen Foutch of Waterloo, Carol (Rick) Smith of Russellville, Ark., Arlene Cervetti of Ocean Ridge, Fla., and Jan Markussen of Des Moines; nine grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents; brothers Ronald, Roger and Raymond; and a son-in-law, Duane Foutch. Services are scheduled for 10:00 a.m. Wednesday at Bethany Bible Chapel in Cedar Falls thru the auspices of Cedar Bible Church, Cedar Falls, with interment in the Garden of Memories in Waterloo. Friends may call from 4 to 8 p.m. Tuesday at the Richardson Funeral Home in Cedar Falls and also one hour prior to the services at the church. Memorial contributions will be designated at a later date.

Richard Markussen

September 18, 1930 - November 1, 2008