Rick “Opie” Kern, 60, of Dolliver, IA, passed away on Sunday, June 30th at his home after a brief battle with brain cancer.
Rick was preceded in death by his mother, Virginia (King) Fokken of Emmetsburg, IA; father-in-law, Claude Ewing of Forest City, IA; brother-in-law, Kent Ewing of Estherville, IA; and mother-in-law, Colleen (Higby) Ewing of Forest City, IA.
He is survived by his wife of 40 years, Julie (Ewing) Kern of Dolliver, IA; son, Ryan Ewing (Kristi) of Estherville, IA; daughters Christina Kern, Richelle Kern, and Amanda Kern of Estherville, IA; brothers Mark Kern (Jing) of North Pole, AK, Mitch Kern of Rodman, IA, Gary Hale of Lake Park, IA and sister Gina Arzaga (Alberto) of Mesa, AZ; six grandchildren, many nieces and nephews and more cousins than you can count.
Opie was a hardworking man all his life, but never forgot to spend quality time with his family and friends. Whether he was camping, fishing, hunting, scuba diving, golfing, 4wheeling or playing with his little diggers, Opie always made sure to live life to the fullest. His bold personality was larger than life and he will be deeply missed by all who knew him.
Opie was the owner of Opie’s Construction in Estherville and genuinely enjoyed meeting new customers and colleagues throughout his career.
A Celebration of Life will be held at Kearney Campground and Shelter House in Emmetsburg, IA on Saturday, July 27th from 1-4pm. Please join us in sharing all the great memories and moments that have been made with this amazing man throughout his lifetime.
