Dr. Richard Mulder, age 83, of Ivanhoe, MN passed away at his home on Monday, February 14, 2022. Funeral service will be at 2:00p.m. on Saturday, February 19th at Bethany-Elim Lutheran Church in Ivanhoe, MN. Visitation will be held 5 to 7pm on Friday, February 18th at the Bethany-Elim Lutheran Church with a prayer service at 7pm. Visitation will resume one hour prior to the service at the church. A private family burial will be at the West Elim Cemetery near Ivanhoe. Houseman Funeral Home is entrusted with the arrangements.
Richard Dean Mulder was born May 8, 1938 in Rock Valley, Iowa to Clarence and Jessica (Dykstra) Mulder. Dick graduated High School from Rock Valley. He received a Pharmacy Degree from South Dakota State University, Degree of Medicine from University of South Dakota and Doctor of Medicine Degree from The University of Iowa. While working as a pharmacist in Algona, Iowa, Dick met the love of his life, Ruth VanBuren, they were married June 20, 1964. Dick and Ruth have four children: Richard Jr., Angela, Stefini, and Curtis. They raised their family in Ivanhoe, Minnesota, where “Doc” started his own family practice in 1969. Dick loved the town of Ivanhoe and was heavily involved in the community. He was an active member of Bethany-Elim Lutheran Church, the Masonic Lodge, the Shriners, Boy Scouts, Lions Club, and Ivanhoe Community Club. He was a co-founder of Ivanhoe’s Polska Kielbasa Days, and served as Ivanhoe School’s Sports Doctor, and the County Coroner. Dick’s medical membership and activities are voluminous such as: member of American Medical Association, Minnesota Medical Association, American Academy of Family Physicians, MN Academy of Family Physicians (numerous committees, chairman positions, offices, including President), Lyon/Lincoln Medical Assoc., American Assoc. of Medical Examiners, National Association of Medical Examiners, appointed as member of the National Rural Health Care Task Force, appointed to MN Board of Medical Practice by the Governor and Chairman of Complaint Review Board, elected Vice-Speaker of the House of Delegates, Board of Trustees and Trustee at Large for MN Medical Assoc. and member of Rural Health Care Task Force. One of his final and most enjoyed positions, was being elected as MN House of Representative for District 21B. While in office his “Stay at Home Mom” bill was passed into law. This law received national attention across the United States. Being in all these positions there was only one thing Doc was working towards, providing the best possible medicine to rural Minnesota. Any opportunity he had, he would talk to residents, newspapers, government officials, and decision makers in various medical associations. It didn’t matter if he was talking to residents of Ivanhoe or the President of the United States, he always knew God’s purpose for him was to help others through medicine. Doc enjoyed singing and whistling, piloting his plane, scuba diving, playing poker, traveling with his wife and kids, spending time at his hobby farm, and mostly just sitting down and visiting with people.
Grateful for having shared Dick’s life is his wife, Ruth; his children: Rick (Susan) Mulder, Oakland NE, Angie (Todd) Board, West End NC, Stefini (Matt) Thomsen, Prior Lake MN, Curtis Mulder, Ivanhoe MN and his grandchildren: Joshua, Jared & Marissa Mulder, Rachel & Rory Board, Adrienne & Jack Thomsen; sister, Judy (Siebert) Dorhout, brother, Clair Mulder and numerous nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, Clarence and Jessica Mulder; sister-in-law, Patricia Metzen and grandson, Joshua Mulder.
Gifts received will be donated to Luke Society, Shriners Hospital for Children, or charity of your choice in memory of Richard D. Mulder.