Richard H. Espeland, 94, of Huntley, Montana, passed away on July 29, 2022. Richard was born in Grenora, ND, on July 14, 1928, to Emma and Selmer Espeland. He grew up with three brothers and three sisters on a small farm in Westby, MT. His mother passed away when Richard was young, and he was raised by his loving step-mother, Mabel. He graduated from Westby High School in 1946. Richard served in the Marine Corps from 1952-1954 and went on to receive a Bachelor of Engineering from Montana State University c.1957 and a Masters of Engineering from the University of Colorado in 1977.
Richard married Berniece Sampson in 1955, and together they had four daughters Deniece, Rebecca, Judie, and Natha. Richard raised his four daughters by himself after Berniece died in 1972. He worked as an electrical engineer for the National Bureau of Standards in Boulder, Colorado, and retired in 1986. In 1992 he moved back to Montana and settled in Huntley.
Richard was a kind and helpful man with a zest for life. He greeted everyone with a smile, and a stranger was just someone he had yet to meet. He was truly grateful for everyone and everything around him. He enjoyed photography, painting, square dancing, music, and travel. He had a love of building and fixing things. If something broke, he’d almost always find a way to repair it, and would do it in such a way that it would never break again. He will be greatly missed by his family, neighbors, and friends.
Richard is survived by his daughters Deniece Korzekwa (David), Rebecca Pruitt (Wayne), Judith Suden (John), and Natha Espeland; grandchildren Katy Korzekwa, Richard Korzekwa, Amy Korzekwa (Theodore), Brandy Taylor (Dennis), Dustin Pruitt, Travis Suden (Erika), and Sara Suden; great-grandchildren Roman and Ruby Taylor, Felix and Matilda Hamblin, and Evzen Suden. He is also survived by his brothers Sam, Eugene, and Dennis (Marilyn) Espeland and sisters Marilyn Adkins (Jack) and Betty Aune and numerous nieces and nephews. Richard was predeceased by his parents, his wife Berniece and his sister Gladys Grimm.
Memorial services will be held at Tuesday, August 9, 2022, 9:30 am.
