Richard Blume

Richard Joseph Blume was born on October 29, 1959 to Paul and Opal (Clark) Blume. At a very young age, their family lived in Washington while his dad was in the military. They eventually returned to Iowa and made their home in Deloit. Rick attended Deloit school and later graduated from Denison High School. Rick was a very hardworking young man who worked various jobs like mowing and helping farmers. He worked for Wells Blue Bunny in Denison, Texaco in Schleswig, and then at Stoddard’s in Dunlap painting horse trailers. In 1978, he was hired at Farmland Foods where he worked for 40 years, retiring in 2018.

While Rick was working at Farmland he met his lifelong partner, Suzanne Lenz, where he later asked her out to an Iowa State versus Nebraska game. Rick and Suzi went everywhere together. They were best friends. On May 10, 1987, they united in marriage at the Las Vegas Wedding Gardens in Las Vegas, Nevada. Rick and Suzi made their home in Denison and lived there until 2009, when they moved to Vail.

Rick was a gear head. His hobbies were cars, motorcycles, and Odyssey’s. He used to race Odyssey’s in Knoxville and other towns where they raced them. He also loved running in the demo derbies and figure 8 races. Rick had a Husqvarna motorcycle & he used to love to ride wheelies up & down main street in Deloit. In the 90’s, Rick raced a stock car at the Crawford County Speedway. He enjoyed NASCAR. Tim Richmond and Alan Kulwicki were his favorite drivers, as well as many of the older drivers from the 60’s and 70’s. Rick had a passion for working on cars and driving fast. Him and Suzi bought and sold numerous vehicles over their 42 years together. Rick also enjoyed his “Deloit Homies” as he would call them. They would get together when they could and reminisce about outrunning the cops, chasing each other around in their demo cars before the actual demo, and causing harmless mischief in his younger years. He was famous with the Denison PD when he had his white trans AM. They watched him like a hawk back in the “scoop the loop” days. Rick was also a lifelong Dallas Cowboys fan and PBR drinker. Even when all his friends switched from PBR to something different, he stayed true to his Pabst Blue Ribbon!

Above all else, Rick’s family meant everything to him. He told stories to his wife, Suzi about his little sister growing up and how much he enjoyed those times. He used to take Paula for rides on his dirt bike when she was very young. She used to run outside when he got home and shout, “Ricky’s home, Ricky’s home”! Rick loved Paula’s three kids, Cody, Carter, and Claire.

Rick passed away on June 29, 2026. He was preceded in death by his parents. He is survived by his wife, Suzanne Blume of Vail, IA; sister, Paula Blume of Dow City, IA; and other family and friends.

A graveside service will be held on Friday, July 17, 2026, at 11:00 AM at the Crawford Heights Memory Gardens in Denison, Iowa. The family request that anyone planning on attending, would meet them at the cemetery.