Richard Wallace Oehmke

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Oehmke, Richard Wallace age 81, of Hudson passed away August 30, 2017. Richard was born December 19, 1935, the son of William and Catherine (Distelrath) Oehmke. He graduated from Holy Cross High School in Marine City, MI and was the first in his family to attend a university, obtaining a Bachelor's degree in Chemistry from Saint Joseph's College in Indiana; he then went on to earn his PhD in Chemistry from the University of Illinois. Richard was united in marriage to Norah (Linehan) on February 4, 1961 at the Holy Redeemer Church in Detroit, MI and together they were blessed with six children; Daniel, Robert, Norah, John, Michael and James. Richard was employed at 3M for thirty-five years and was 3M's New Products Manager when the Post-it Note was invented. Richard took great pride in his Catholic faith; he became a religious educator for CCD and was a prospective member of the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) for many years. He was also a devoted member of the Hudson Knights of Columbus and was a founding member of the St. Patrick Parish Council. Richard was a distinguished member of the Boy Scouts of America for over fifty years. He has held numerous, prestigious positions including: Scout Master, Merit Badge Counselor, Religious Badge Counselor, Committee Chair, Unit Commissioner, Assistant District Commissioner and District Commissioner. Throughout his eventful scouting career, Richard earned coveted badges and awards such as the District Award of Merit, the Golden Pelican, the St. George's Emblem and the Silver Beaver Award for his outstanding involvement and impact in the lives of the youth throughout the community. Richard was proud to attend the Swedish National Jamboree of 2001 with his sons, Michael and James, where he met the King of Sweden. In his devotion to the Hudson community, Richard was also one of the founding members of the Hudson Ambulance Service (St. Croix EMS), where he served for a number of years. Richard is survived by his wife, Norah; siblings, Robert (Marlene) Oehmke of Troy, MI, and Mary (Lawrence) Saia of Madison Heights, MI; children, Daniel (Sandy) Oehmke of Welch, MN, Robert Oehmke of Hudson, WI, Norah Oehmke of Hudson, WI, John Oehmke of Sacramento, CA, Michael (Katherine) Oehmke of Pottstown, PA and James (Nicola) Oehmke of Dusseldorf, Germany; thirteen grandchildren, Patrick, Kathryn, Joseph, Madaline, Brayden, Octavia, Margaret, Henry, Emma, Abigail, Nicholas, Beatrice and Anna. He is preceded in death by his parents, William and Catherine (Distelrath) Oehmke. Mass of Christian Burial for Richard Oehmke will take place at Saint Patrick Catholic Church in Hudson on Thursday, September 7, at 11 AM. A gathering of family and friends will be held from 4-7 PM on Wednesday, September 6, at the O'Connell Family Funeral Home, 520 S. 11th St., Hudson, WI as well as one hour prior to the service. Funeral services are entrusted to the O'Connell Family Funeral Home of Hudson, WI.

Published on September 3, 2017