Richard “Dick” Earl Monson, age 74, of Valley City, ND passed away Wednesday, June 25, 2025, at Sanford Hospital, Fargo, with his family beside him.  A Funeral Mass will be celebrated at 10:30 AM Tuesday, July 1, 2025, at St. Catherine’s Catholic Church in Valley City.  Visitation will be held one hour prior.  Inurnment will be in St. Catherine’s Catholic Cemetery, Valley City, ND.  The funeral service will be live streamed, then archived, on a link provided along with his obituary on his tribute page at www.lerudmathias.com.  An online guestbook is available there as well.  The Lerud Mathias Funeral Home is assisting the family with arrangements.

Dick was born October 31, 1950, in Mercy Hospital, Valley City, ND, to Edward and Ruth (Yanish) Monson.  He attended first grade at St. Catherine’s Elementary School, the next three years at Hobart #9, then at Lincoln Elementary, and onto Valley City Public Junior and Senior High Schools.  Dick enlisted in the Marine Corps at the age of 17 following his graduation.  He trained with the 3rd Replacement Company at Camp Pendleton, California.  He shipped out to Vietnam where he served with the 3rd Marine Division.  As he excelled in math, he plotted coordinates for the “big guns”.  After Dick’s discharge, he returned to Valley City to attend Valley City State College (now Valley City State University).  He earned an elementary education degree and met his future wife, Karen.  He went into farming as it paid more than teaching.

Dick married Karen Dreher on July 2, 1976, in Valley City where they made their home on their farm west of Valley City for their married life.  He retired from farming in 2015.  He loved to garden, hike, fish, and hunt pheasants and grouse with his wife, friends, and “pups” – Rex, Bruno, Gus, Sammy, Duke, and his last ones Carley and Max.  Dick recently made a generous donation to the VCSU Fisheries and Wildlife Program.

Dick is survived by his sister Beverly (Robert) Loken, Valley City; nieces Amy Loken, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and Erin (Nick) Schneider, Fargo; great-niece and nephews Elnora, Henry, and William Schneider; sisters-in-law Char (Paul) Donohue, Valley City, Marla (Robert) Nelsen, Cando; and brother-in-law Jon Boggetto, Valley City.

Dick was preceded in death by his wife, his parents, his sister-in-law Rosemary, and parents-in-law Glenn and Betty Dreher.

Memorials can be made to the Valley City Barnes County Public Library.