Hometown: Maquoketa, Iowa January 06, 1932 - September 16, 2015

Richard "Rich" Efferding, 83, of Maquoketa died peacefully at Finley Hospital in Dubuque following a brief illness. Richard Efferding was born on January 6, 1932, at the Bock family farm near Baldwin. His parents were Robert and Lucille (Bock) Efferding. He began school at East Iron Hill and graduated from Maquoketa High School. He married Evelyn Riggs on December, 1, 1949 in Maquoketa. They later divorced. They are the parents of Janice, Vicky, Kevin, and Gerald. The family relocated to Wisconsin in 1961 where he farmed near Belmont. He then worked for the University of Wisconsin, in Platteville, as the grounds and maintenance worker. He worked at John Deere in Dubuque then transferred to the Mt. Joy plant and the couple moved to DeWitt. He retired from John Deere. Fitness and athleticism were important to him through his later years. He was an avid bicyclist and participated in Senior Olympics. He participated in go kart racing many years and was an avid fan of NASCAR and Indy 500 racing. He is survived by his children, Janice Julson, Watertown, Wisconsin, Victoria Riggs, Arlington, South Dakota, and Gerald (Cheryl) Efferding, Madison, Wisconsin, 6 grandchildren, and 9 great grandchildren, his sister Marilyn Schoenthaller, Maquoketa, and a special friend, Ailene Schnoor of Maquoketa. He was preceded in death by his parents, his son, Kevin, and his brother-in-law Soren "Red" Schoenthaller. A private family memorial service will be held at 2 PM on Saturday October 24, at Lahey Funeral Home in Maquoketa. A public Visitation will follow from 3-5 PM. Richard donated his body to science. Cremation and burial will be at a later date.