Richard "Rich" Pehrson, 80, of Columbus, Nebraska, died Thursday, October 31, 2024, at Prairie Village Retirement Center in Columbus.

The funeral service will be held on Monday, November 4, at 10:30 AM at Gass Haney Funeral Home with Chaplain Mark Hartley officiating. Visitation will be on Monday, from 9:00 AM until service time at the funeral home. Interment will be on Monday at 1:00 PM, in the Stanton Cemetery in Stanton, Nebraska. Memorials may be directed to the Polk County Historical Society. The funeral service will be broadcast live on the Gass Haney Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100057043736890

Richard was born April 22, 1944, in Osceola, Nebraska, to Elmer and Margaret (Randell) Pehrson.

Growing up in and around Osceola, Rich was active in Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts.  He worked at the Osceola swimming pool during the summers of 1961-1966.  He would return home from college to manage the pool from 1963-1966.

After graduating from Osceola High School in 1962, Rich attended Kearney State College, earning his Bachelor's Degree and teaching certificate.  He was an active member in the Theta Xi fraternity.

Rich spent his 33 year teaching career at Battle Creek Junior and Senior High School.  It was there he met and married Dianna Brozek.  They were married in November of 1978.

Rich enjoyed traveling the sandhills of Nebraska, fishing, and building wooden toys.  Spending time with his grandchildren filled much of his spare time.

After retiring from Battle Creek Public Schools, he and Dianna moved to Columbus to be closer to their grandchildren.  There he drove the Senior Center handy bus for the City of Columbus for several years.

Rich prided himself as an amateur historian, writing extensive family histories.  Once the family histories were complete. All the way back to the ships they arrived to America on, Rich began work on a homesteaders atlas for Polk County.  He identified all the homesteaders and compiled a book of each plot of land along with many interesting stories.  Rich was always researching some part of Polk County history.

Rich is survived by:
Step Daughters- Jane (Brozek) Glaubius of the United Kingdom and Jean (Brozek) Mapes of Columbus, NE
Grandchildren- Merle (Jess) Mapes of Kansas City, MO, Mackenzie "Mac" Mapes of Chicago, IL, and Katie (Glaubius) Pedder (Lee) of London
Great Grandchild- Quinn Pedder of London
Nephews- Shannon (Ann) Sutherland of Lincoln, NE and Scott Sutherland of Osaka, Japan

Rich was preceded in death by:
Wife- Dianna Pehrson
Sister- Nyla Sutherland
Son- Richard Pehrson II
Parents- Elmer and Margaret Pehrson