Memorial

Richard S. “Dick” Barta 86. of Cedar Rapids, died May 29, 2013 at Mercy Hospital in Cedar Rapids due to complications from Parkinsons. Visitation will be held at St. Ludmila Catholic Church on Sunday, June 2, 2013 from 5:00 to 7:00pm and after 9:00 a.m. at the church on Monday.A funeral Mass will be held at 10:00 am on Monday, June 3, 2013 at St. Ludmila Catholic Church by Father Dennis Juhl. Burial will be at St. John’s Cemetery. Cedar Memorial Westside Chapel is in charge of the arrangements. Dick was born April 30, 1927 in Cedar Rapids, IA. To Joseph and Emma (Havlena) Barta, the ninth of ten children. He married Shirley Mae Price of Cedar Rapids on March 22, 1948. Born to this union were seven children. Dick served in the US Coast Guard (Merchant Marines Services) from 1942 – 45 during WWII. He was a commercial truck driver for several Cedar Rapids trucking companies for over 30 years. After retirement he was a school bus driver (a/k/a Mr. B) for 12 years. Through his driving experiences and long before the advent of GPS, he was able to give exact directions (with alternate routes) to virtually any location in the Cedar Rapids/Iowa City area! Dick was a storyteller with an amazing recall of long-past events; tales about growing up in CR during the Great Depression, his WW II adventures on Liberty ships on both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, and family events long forgotten by other participants. He was an avid sports fan who especially loved the Chicago Cubs and Iowa State Cyclones on TV and AM radio broadcasts. Dick was an active volunteer in the St. Ludmila Parish and the community. He volunteered countless hours coaching, acting as parish handyman and collecting Coats for Kids. In 1988 he received the Governor’s Volunteer Award. Dick and Shirley recently celebrated their 65th wedding anniversary. He will be dearly missed by all who knew him and loved him. Surviving family include his wife, Shirley and children: Jackie (Dale) Hanna, Dianne (Steve) Krumbholz, Richard (Debra) Barta, Robert (Susan) Barta, Cindy (Tom) Smidt, Susan (Reid) Riggle and Angela (Doug) Schulte and ten grandchildren; Lauren (Nathan) Vondra, Richie and Alexander Barta, Ethan (Elyssa) and Kellen Smidt, Hannah and Jonah Riggle, Emily, Grant and Madison Schulte. He was preceded in death by his parents, brothers Joseph, George and Charles and sisters Emily, Mary and Agnes. He is survived by sisters Anna St. Germain, Dorothy Newgard of California and Pat Waskow of Marion, IA. Our special thanks to the Mercy Hospital Staff for their loving care during his final days. Memorials may be made to St. Ludmila's Church of Cedar Rapids.