Richard Karl Lohaus

Richard Karl Lohaus left us to be with his Savior on October 18, 2024. He was surrounded with love by his family.

Karl as he was known by his family and friends, was born May 8, 1943, to Henry and Martha (Niemeyer) Lohaus on the family farm in Cushing Oklahoma. He was baptized into the Lutheran faith on June 6, 1943, at Redeemer Lutheran Church, and attended his first year in the 2-room country Sunnyside Elementary School.

In 1950, he moved with his family to a farm west of Paola, Kansas. He attended his elementary years at First Lutheran School and confirmed his faith on April 14, 1957, at First Lutheran Church, Paola, Kansas. He continued his education at Paola High School and graduated with the class of 1961.

During his late teenage years, he worked various jobs around town and in the summertime worked on the wheat harvest in western Kansas. On September 1, 1962, he married Ruth (Swearingen) Lohaus at Trinity Lutheran Church, Block, Kansas. They moved to western Kansas, where he started his career on the Norton Reservoir as an operator of heavy equipment in construction. This career took them to various locations before settling back in Paola to raise their family of four daughters. He was an active member of First Lutheran Church, serving multiple terms on the Board of Trustees and Board of Education. He was last employed by Max Rieke and Brothers Construction until he retired in 2005 and staying a proud member of Operating Engineers Local 101 union until his passing.

While raising their family, he enjoyed teaching his daughters and grandchildren how to fish during many camping trips. Among many other interests were gardening, dirt track car races, and antique tractor shows that he enjoyed sharing with his children and eventually grandchildren. He also enjoyed attending his grandson's sporting events. Fun memories were the family Sunday drive to the bottom of the Hillsdale Lake as he showed where he was working. In his later years, he would be able to tell you where all he worked over the Kansas City area while on trips to the city. He enjoyed giving his grandchildren rides on his antique John Deere tractors or pulling a smaller trailer with one his collections of Wheel Horse lawn tractors. While his ultimate pastime was fishing with all his fishing buddies over the years.

Preceding him in death were his wife, parents, 3 brothers, 2 sisters, a son-in-law, and a grandson.

He is survived by his four daughters, Ruth Elaine (Robb) Kluttz, Ottawa, Teresa Ellsworth, Garnett, Patricia (Virgil) Lyons and Karla (Randy) Lohaus-Fast, Paola; as well as 9 grandchildren, 8 great-grandchildren, 2 sisters, and many nieces and nephews.

A visitation will be held at Dengel & Son-Paola Chapel on Wednesday, October 23, 2024, from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Funeral services will be at First Lutheran Church of Paola, where he was a lifetime member, on Thursday, October 24, 2024, beginning at 11:00 a.m. followed by burial beside his beloved wife at Miami Memorial Gardens, Paola, Kansas.

Memorial Contributions may be made to the First Lutheran Church Endowment Fund c/o Dengel & Son-Paola Chapel 305 N. Pearl St. Paola, KS 66071.

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