Richard "Rich" LeBrun

Richard Alan (Rich) LeBrun, age 79, passed away peacefully on Saturday April 20, 2024, at his home in Sauk Centre, Minnesota. 

A funeral service will be held 11 a.m. Friday, April 26th at the Sauk Centre United Methodist Church with Rev. Ruth Gangloff officiating. Inurnment will be held later at Minnesota State Veterans Cemetery in Redwood Falls. Military honors will be provided by Sauk Centre United Veterans Honor Guard.

Visitation will be held from 9 to 11 a.m. Friday at the church.

Rich was born May 11, 1944, in Mankato, Minnesota to Anthony (Tony) and Ruth (Rinehart) LeBrun. He farmed with his parents just outside of Winthrop, Minnesota, and graduated from Winthrop High School in 1962 before joining the Navy in 1964. He served four years on the USS Yorktown, an aircraft carrier. He married Cindy McColley on August 24, 1984, in Long Prairie with a reception in Redwood Falls. He had two daughters from a previous marriage: Hallie and Melanie.

Rich was a hard worker and held a variety of jobs including the railroad, co-owning and running C&R Café, electrician helper, and his lawn service business. In 2006, he retired so he had more time to travel, try his luck at the casino, chat and roll dice with his buddies, putter around his house and barn, and fuss in the garden. His collections were many and varied, from eagles and trains to Coca-Cola and a crazy number of pigs. And he always seemed to have a snack or 2 on hand.

Rich loved his family, friends, and country, as well as his garden and food. He was proud of his daughters and of his many flower and vegetable gardens. He made his nieces and nephews each feel as if they were his favorite. We will miss his laugh and impish grin, and sage reminder in restaurants to “Eat the meat! That’s what you pay for!” 

Survivors include his loving wife of nearly 40 years, Cindy LeBrun of Sauk Centre; daughters, Hallie (Eric) Anderson of Maple Grove and Melanie (Timothy) Frederiksen of Redwood Falls; stepdaughter, Kristin Schell; grandsons, John and Justin Frederiksen and 4 grand-cats; siblings, Francis LeBrun, Jeannie (Jan) Shockman, and Eileen (James) Sullivan-Green; sisters-in-law, Phyllis LeBrun and Linda (Allen) Radermacher; brother-in-law, Jeff (Pam) McColley; many nieces and nephews; and many good friends.

Preceding Rich in “goin’ up to the spirit in the sky” were his parents; siblings, Roger LeBrun and LaDonna Totman; brothers-in-law, Darwin Totman and Dale McColley; sister-in-law, Marian LeBrun; parents-in-law, Mary Ann and Gerald Zachariason; and 3 nephews.

In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred to St. Jude’s Hospital.