Outstanding Senior Citizen of the Year - Rev. Richard Kretzschmar

Outstanding Senior Citizen of the Year

Individual who stays active in our community after reaching the age of 70 with volunteerism and outstanding commitment to community service.

Rev. Richard Kretzschmar

Richard grew up on a family farm near St. Louis, Michigan. He earned advanced degrees in chemistry, biology, botany and divinity. While in Tennessee attending seminary college, he met and fell in love with Norma Christopherson from Osceola, WI.  They were married in 1960.
The family lived in Missouri, Minnesota, Kansas and Iowa where Richard served in various ministry capacities. They moved to Osceola in 2001 and in retirement, Richard has constantly kept himself busy in the community. He loves to share his hobbies with anyone who wants to learn.
Richard considers himself a Bee Evangelist and is known as the Public Honey Bee Swarm Catcher. Many have started keeping bees under Richard’s direction and he teaches elementary school children about the benefits of bees for their honey and pollination. He shares and sells his honey to the community.
Richard has also taught about wild edible plants through adult education classes and leading field trips with Boy Scouts.
Another hobby is wine making.
Richard is also the one to ask if you want to know about genealogy. He has been a volunteer interpreter at the Osceola Library and is a former President of the Polk County Genealogy Society.
And last but certainly not least, Richard serves as a pastoral care pastor for the Osceola United Methodist Church.