Richard Lee DORENKAMP

DORENKAMP, HARMON, HOFFMAN, DECKER, KNOLL, WADDINGHAM, VERT, COCKRAM, SWENSON, NELSON, BURMA

Posted By: Sarah Thorson Little (email)
Date: 5/10/2015 at 13:00:13

December 3, 1928 --- April 18, 2015

Richard 'Pidge' Dorenkamp, 86, of Thornton, passed away Saturday, April 18, 2015, at Hospice of North Iowa-Mason City. Public visitation will be 4-7 p.m. Tuesday, April 21, 2015, at Retz Funeral Home, 107 N. Second St., Thornton. Private family services will be held followed by burial at Pleasant View Cemetery, Thornton. Memorials may be directed in his memory to Hospice of North Iowa or the Thornton Fire Department and EMT's.

Richard Lee Dorenkamp, known affectionately as Pidge, was born December 3, 1928, a son of Jacob and Elsie (Knoll) Dorenkamp in Goodell, Iowa. He attended school in Thornton and graduated in 1947. Pidge was united in marriage with his high school sweetheart, Janice Burma, on January 9, 1949. They made their home in Thornton and raised their family in the town of which he was extremely proud.

Richard worked as an over-the-road trucker before he began working at the Thornton Farmer's Coop where he became the assistant manager. While at the Coop he also was the police officer for Thornton and several neighboring towns. In 1976 with his wife Janice, Pidge started the Chit Chat Café and ran it until 2014. During this time Richard and son Gary operated Dorenkamp Trucking. Richard was a big promoter of Thornton and served as mayor from 1990-2006.

Surviving family members include his wife of 66 years: Janice; five children: Linda (Allyn) Waddingham, Meservey; Gary 'Fuzz' (Beth) Dorenkamp, Thornton; Alan (Julie) Dorenkamp, Waterloo; David (Jan) Dorenkamp, Thornton; Lisa (Kevin) Hoffman, Breda, Iowa; 13 grandchildren: Angie (Jeremy) Decker, Jennifer (Dan) Nelson, John Waddingham, Stephanie Dorenkamp, Adam Dorenkamp, Steve (Lindsey) Dorenkamp, Kelly Dorenkamp, April Dorenkamp, Tara Dorenkamp, Dustin Hoffman, Travis (Nichole) Hoffman, Ashley Hoffman, Abby Hoffman; 10 great-grandchildren: Hailey, Brianna, Nic, Jacob, Danielle, Kylee Jo, Dexter, Skyler, Devin, Rylan; 4 sisters: Sally Peck, Bountiful, Utah; Beverly (Joe) Harmon, Pueblo West, Colorado; Janice Vert, Kyle, Texas; Shirley (Bob) Cockram, Sheffield, Iowa; brother: Daryl (Butch) Dorenkamp, Largo, Florida; 2 sisters-in-law: Marge Swenson, Swaledale; Shirley Nelson, Thornton; brother-in-law: Harold (Maxine) Burma, Boone, Iowa; many nieces and nephews. Preceding him in death are his parents, parents-in-law; granddaughter Julie; brother Donald and 4 brothers-in-law.

Mason City Globe Gazette -- Mason City, IA
April 21, 2015