Douglas Richard Bezdicek 1947-1972

BEZDICEK, SCHMIDT, FIENSTRA

Posted By: Merllene Andre Bendixen (email)
Date: 5/15/2011 at 23:13:12

Douglas Bezdicek, 24, died Thursday, July 6, at Northfield, Minn. Fuhrman Funeral home in charge. (Estherville Daily News, Estherville, IA, July 10, 1972)

Authorities Probe Death of Former Estherville Man
Authorities in Dakota County, Minn., are continuing the investigation into the death of a former Estherville man whose body was found in 18 inches of water in the Cannon River at the north city limits of Northfield, Minn., Saturday.

Dead is Douglas Richard Bezdicek, 24, who recently began working as a sports reporter for the Sun Newspapers, Minneapolis and St. Paul. Until recently he had been working for the Northfield News.

Bezdicek had been missing since Thursday morning when he disappeared after walking away from a one-car accident about two miles from where his body was found. Dakota County authorities had nothing further to add this morning.

Douglas was born Sept. 29, 1947, at Spirit Lake. His parents are Mr. and Mrs. Milton Bezdicek of Estherville.

He graduated from Estherville High School in 1965 and from Carleton College in Northfield in 1969.

He worked for the Estherville Daily News as a general reporter for three years and after graduation from college he was employed by the Northfield Daily News.

A month ago he accepted employment as a sports writer for the Sun Newspapers in the Minneapolis and St. Paul area.

He was a member of St. Patrick’s Catholic church at Estherville.

Surviving are his parents and three brothers, Thomas of Washington, D.C., William and Pete at home; two sisters, Mrs. Linda Schmidt of Minneapolis and Rebecca at home; and his two grandmothers, Mrs. Fred Bezdicek of Lakefield, Minn., and Mrs. Allen Fienstra of Sibley.

Funeral services will be held t 10 a.m. Tuesday at St. Patrick’s church with rosary at 8 o’clock tonight at Fuhrman Funeral Home. Msgr. James H. Duhigg will officiate at funeral services. Burial will be in St. Patrick’s cemetery.

Friends may call at the funeral home today and until time of the funeral.

Pallbearers are Clyde Lynn, Jerry Lewis, Dr. H. P. Moreau, S. P. Henely, Raymond Keifer and John Janasko. (Estherville Daily News, Estherville, IA, July 10, 1972)