Richard (Dick) Joseph Cerney, son of Ray and Mary (Gleich) Cerney was born on January 26, 1949 in Geddes, South Dakota. He was the oldest of 4 children.

Dick attended Geddes High School where he was actively involved in athletics and met his sweetheart and the love of his life, Carol (Muck) Cerney. They married on January 11th, 1968. He attended Black Hills College and they lived in Lead, SD. While attending college, he also worked at the gold mine. After he graduated, he enlisted in the Army and was stationed in San Antonio, Texas. He attained the rank of 1st Lieutenant.

After leaving the military, Dick and Carol owned and operated Taco Johns in Minnesota. After a few years, they returned home to run the Geddes Café for 5 years. The family moved to Mobridge where Dick was the manager of Job Service for many years.

In 1997, they made the decision to serve the Lord in a different capacity and dedicated their lives to helping children as house parents at the Omaha Home for Boys in Nebraska and most recently at St. Joe's Indian School in Chamberlain.

He had many joys in retirement.  He deeply loved his three children and those they brought into his life. He loved traveling the country with his beloved wife and pug, Molly from the Bridge City to the Rocky Mountains following his children's and grandchildren's accomplishments.  From the grid iron to the throwing circle, the track to the court, and the fishing boat, he loved them all.  Watching the joys of victory and the agonizing losses were what he really enjoyed.

Dick was also a man of deep and unshakable faith in the Lord.  He lived his life following the Scripture and serving everyone he came in contact. He had been to many Promise Keeper conferences, went on a mission trip a few years ago, and had hopes of going to help those in Texas this upcoming year. In his retirement, he and Carol became more active in the church: doing odd jobs, Bible studies, and prayer groups. Their personal relationship with Jesus is what sustained Dick, and will continue to sustain Carol, throughout many of life's joys and trials.

Grateful for having shared in his life is his family, Dick's wife, Carol; their children, daughter Shannon (Mark) Nelson and their 3 children Mariah, Chandler and Aleck, his 2 sons Rick Cerney, and Jim (Amy) Cerney  and their 3 children Dylan, Reese, and Trace; Brother Tom Cerney; sisters, Paula (Ron) Renner and Betsy (Dallas) Kok; mother-in-law Jean Muck; brother-in-laws Dan (Dana) Muck and David Muck, and many nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his father Ray and Mary (Gleich), an older sister Mary, and his father-in-law Lyle Muck.