Doris Richter
Doris Richter Apr. 30, 1927 – July 29, 2026 Loving wife and devoted mother Doris Elaine (Heimer) Richter, 99, of Lincoln, Nebraska, passed away peacefully of natural causes in the early morning on July 29, 2026, at Cedar Creek of High Plains Memory Care. Rosary followed by the Mass of Christian Burial will be held at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Shelby on July 31, 2026 beginning at 10:30 am. Interment will follow immediately at Graceland Cemetery in Shelby. All are invited to a luncheon at the Legion Hall on Main Street in Shelby following the graveside service.
Doris was bornApril 30, 1927, in Shelby, Nebraska, the daughter of John W. and Eda O. (Edith) Heimer. She was preceded in death by her parents; her brothers, Leonard and Richard Heimer; her sisters, Wilma Krumbach and Elnora Augustin; husband Lawrence W. “Larry” Richter; and an infant son, Anthony, who lived only 18 days in 1950, and Bobby Freeman (Suzanne’s husband). Doris is the end of an era, the last of her generation.
On October 21, 1947, Doris married Lawrence W. Richter in Shelby. They shared 67 years of marriage until Larry’s death in August 2015. Together they raised five children. In 1964, Doris and Larry made the bold decision to leave the family farming life. They packed up their five children and moved to Ceresco, Nebraska, where Larry began a new career as an electrician at Ernie’s Store. In 1967 the couple purchased the Farmer in the Dell Drive-In in Ceresco. Doris ran the business with skill and pride until they sold it in 1980 after their children had grown and moved away. Regulars still remember her famous strawberry ice cream every Wednesday. Doris and Larry were devoted members of St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Davey for 51 years, where Doris served faithfully in the Altar Society. They loved to dance, bowl, and play cards, and in retirement they traveled the world to visit their children. Doris will be remembered by family and friends for her deep Polk County roots and the values she lived every day: hard work, family, resilience, quiet strength, and a wonderful sense of humor. Doris will also be remembered for her exceptional pies, fried chicken, and dinner rolls. Even as dementia progressed, her caregivers cherished her laugh and her sassy spirit.
She is survived by her five children: Son- Wayne (Kathy) Richter; #1daughter – Vickie (Alan) Fairchild; #2daughter – Suzanne Richter Freeman; #3daughter – Cheryl Richter; and #4daughter – Belinda Richter. She is also survived by three grandchildren—Rebecca (Seth) Perrett, Jessica (James) Jens, and Dan (Lindsey) Richter—and three great-grandchildren, Aspen Jens, Ian Jens, and Connor Knollenberg.
The Richter Family wants to thank the staff of Legacy Terrace, Cedar Creek of High Plains Memory Care, and AseraCare Hospice. We are forever grateful for all of their kindness, support, and loving care they gave to Doris the last years and days of her life. You all are truly God’s Angels here on earth.
Cards may be sent to the family. Svoboda Funeral Home of Wahoo is in charge of arrangements.
Visit www.marcysvoboda.com to leave condolences.
