Richard C Bosworth, age 77, died on June 7, 2020, in the Sanford Emergency Department. Funeral services will be at 10:30 AM, Friday, June 12, 2020 at the United Methodist Church in Plankinton, SD. Visitation will be from 5:30 to 8:00 PM, Thursday, June 11, 2020 with a 6:00 Masonic Service at the United Methodist Church in Plankinton, SD.

Richard Clark Bosworth started life on March 21, 1943, with his identical twin Robert. Dr. Cochran helped Gladys (Edinger) birth the twins at the age of 42 at the clinic/hospital in Plankinton, SD, while Joseph Bosworth waited outside the room. Richard and Robert grew up on the family farm in Aurora County, spending every waking and sleeping moment together. The Bosworth family imprinted hard work, faith in Jesus, and grit to get through the toughest challenges. When the family rested from work, they danced and played cards together. Games of pinochle, hours of dancing, riding bareback horses, trapping, and hunting kept joy running through Richard's family.

The twin boys entered primary school, speaking their unique twin-language. Throughout middle and high-school years, Richard excelled in athletics, laying up basketballs and catching footballs as a Plankinton Pirate. He ran relays at the State Track Tournament for five years as he zipped over the hurdles in his favorite individual event. He graduated from Plankinton High School in 1962 with 26 other students. The relationships forged from PHS lasted his whole life.

After high school, Richard and his twin went to Southern State College in Springfield, SD and majored in Carpentry graduating in 1964. While at college Rich and Rob rarely missed a dance. Dance lessons from their sister, Mitzi, empowered them to cut the rug with the best of them. In 1963, on the island skating rink at Milltown, Richard danced with his wife for the first time.

Following graduation, Richard and Robert joined their dad on the family farm. The twins showered their cabinetry skills onto their family, building beautiful wooden pieces of art. Today hutches, kitchen cabinets, footstools, rocking chairs, and various furniture sparkle in the homes and churches crafted by Richard. Richard was blessed to farm and ranch in partnership with his twin brother until his retirement in 2007. God gifted Rich with a talent for working with animals. Calving calves, raising hogs, and loving horses, dogs, and cats kept him honoring God with that skill. Years of farming offered abundant opportunities to innovate solutions when things fell apart or didn't work right. He found great joy in tinkering with parts and scraps around the farm until he engineered a solution. From farm-sprayers to calf-cradles to golfing putters, he built solutions for problems.

Richard said, "The best decision I ever made was asking Rose to marry me. She was the greatest plus of my life." His union in marriage to Rose Kritzmire took place in Parker United Methodist Church on December 4, 1965. The couple made their home on the family farm until 1981 when they danced their growing family up the road to their current home. Richard and Rose had four children, Annette, Jesse & Jason (twins), and Peggy. His chest filled with pride through his role as a father. He instilled midwest work-ethics into his children, nieces, and nephews using farm chores as his favorite teaching tool. Days spent picking rocks, cleaning hog-barns, scooping feed-bunks, cleaning grain bins, and sorting cattle wired the next generation in the family legacy. The Bosworth tradition of dancing, playing cards, hunting, praying, and trapping continued through his leadership. You only needed to spend a short time with Richard before he filled any lull in the day with a competitive game of cribbage or five-card-pinochle. He attracted all eight grandkids into these entertaining games by challenging them to beat Grandpa. The grandkids learned gun safety on Grandpa Rich's farm, where they practiced shooting clay pigeons and trappin' critters. Despite his rotten reputation as a fisherman, Richard somehow caught the largest Northern Pike in South Dakota in 2006. As proof, he mounted the fish on his wall.

Richard enriched his community through constant participation. The United Methodist Church provided abundant opportunities of service to the Lord through decades of pancake breakfasts, Fall Suppers, Men's groups, various committees, and even a few years in the choir. In 1973, Richard joined the fraternity of the Masonic Lodge and remained a member until his death.

Richard drew some of his favorite friendships from his bowling league and golfing buddies in Plankinton. He added value to the boards he sat on including (but not limited to) Aurora County Pork Producers, Fish Lake Golf Course, Aurora County Co-Op Board, many Methodist Church Committees, member of the Jay Cee, and dozens of other community memberships.

He was preceded in death by his parents Joseph & Gladys (Edinger) Bosworth, brother Allen (Marlene) Bosworth, a sister who was born prematurely, and his son, Jason Allen Bosworth.

Grateful to share his life with his wife, Rose (Kritzmire), children Annette (Chad) Haber [Prescott, Walker, Chancellor] - Sioux Falls, SD; Jesse (Michelle Oaks) Bosworth [Ryan, Madison, Cameron Jace] - Knoxville, TN; Peggy (Thomas) Craig [Joseph, Catlyn] - Sioux Falls, SD. Siblings J. Bruce (Waunita) Bosworth - Spirit Lake, IA; Janet "Mitzi" K. (Curt) Fromke - Glen Ellen, CA; Robert D. (Janet) Bosworth - Plankinton, SD and numerous nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.

To view the memorial slide show please click on the you tube link below.

https://youtu.be/_nRShMvkh68

Memorials may be directed to the Plankinton United Methodist Church, parking lot fund, 210 East Road, Plankinton, SD, 57368

https://tithe.ly/give_new/www/#/tithely/give-one-time/408738?widget=1

or the Fish Lake Golf Course, PO Box 142, Plankinton, SD 57368

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