Richard (Dick) Jacob Kreft, 83, of Tippecanoe IN left his earthly home and took his final trip to be with his Savior, Jesus Christ on October 13, 2021. He will be missed dearly. His family rejoices that he is whole and that they will see him again.
Richard was born to William and Bessie Kreft in Lisle, Illinois. He grew up with 9 brothers and 2 sisters. He leaves behind: his wife Nancy, his four sons and daughters-in-law (Larrie/Ruth , Rod/Marla, Wade/Dawn, and Curt/Sue) and his daughter Jill (Jeremiah Reichert). He has 38 grandchildren and 42 great grandchildren.
Dick was a good husband. He married Nancy Jane Blackford in 1957. He enjoyed her cooking and her looks and could often be heard complimenting both. They were married for 64 years. He loved and provided for her and the family faithfully and sacrificially. Every Friday night after a long week of trucking between Wisconsin and Chicago, he would make the additional trek home to Indiana to be with Nancy and the family and on many occasions he would bring her roses. In 1984, Dick and Nancy decided to move to Platteville, Wisconsin so he could be home every night. This was not an easy move, but Richard was thoughtful and sacrificed to bring Nancy back to Tippecanoe at least one weekend a month so as to continue building strong family memories.
Richard was a good father. As a young dad, he would race the four boys home from church and was always the winner! As a young family, they could be found eating mom's fried chicken on the backstretch of the Warsaw Speedway and visiting the pits with dad before and after the races. As he grew older there were many Friday nights when he could be found toting a grandchild or two, or a son/daughter to Gas City to enjoy the dirt track or on Saturday night it would be Plymouth Speedway's asphalt track. He made a huge effort to get to the kids athletic events, even pulling up last minute in his semi rig!
Dick Kreft was a good worker. Some of his past places of employment include: Morman's Feed Mill, he worked for Will Erwin, and Dickerhoff. His main occupation was a truck driver. He trucked for over 40 years for employers like: Niff-Core, Paige-Cox, Corl Bath, Advance Transformers, and retired from Steel Warehouse. He was awarded Trucker of the Month and Trucker of the Year from various employers. In all his years on the road trucking he was accident free; a fact he was proud of. Dick was an ideal employee as He was dependable and gave each job his all. As a trucker, his handle was Junkman as he often would pick up “finds” along the side of the road. He had the respect of his employers and fellow truckers alike; he was a man that could be trusted. He spent hours in his truck listening to Christian radio and singing along. In a career that often doesn't lend itself to family, Richard Kreft was a family man.
Dick was very involved in church and faithfully attended and served. He was a Trustee, He drove church bus for years, and he faithfully mowed and maintained church yards never desiring any acknowledgment.
Random things that make us smile as we think of Dad. He was a fan of the Chicago White Sox's and the Bears and you could often hear him yelling at the tv. He was extremely organized. On every trip he made he kept a notebook of every penny he spent and when and where he spent it. If he was frustrated you might hear him holler, “Lousy booger” or “Pete's sake.” He loved the cheapness of the McDouble.
Dick was a deeply contented man who chose to live a simple life so he could give generously to others. While he was a good man, a good worker, a good husband, and a good father he realized when he was a young man in high school that He wasn't good enough and he needed a Savior and so he made the biggest and best decision of his life – to put his faith in Jesus Christ.
The family would like to express a huge thank you to Kindred Hospice of Rochester for their excellent care for Richard over the last three years; words cannot express our gratitude.
Friends may visit with the family on Monday October 18, 2021 from 4 p.m. – 8 p.m. at Bourbon Bible Church, 2002 12th Road, Bourbon, Indiana.
Funeral Services will be held on Tuesday October 19, 2021 at 10:00 a.m. at the church with Rev. Ryan Petgen.
Burial will follow at the Tippecanoe Cemetery, Tippecanoe, Indiana.
