Richard E. Vos

Richard Edwin Vos was born on May 15, 1960 to Edwin and Beverly (Barnes) Vos in Pipestone, Minnesota. He was raised in the Ruthton and Tyler, Minnesota area. He attended school and graduated from Tyler High School in 1979. In 1976, Rick began working at Knudsen’s Standard Station as a cleaning and gas attendant. Following high school, he attended Canby Vo-Tech school for one year before returning to Tyler and the station. He learned the mechanic trade through the mentorship of LeRoy Knudsen and in 1990, Rick became co-owner of the station. On July 5, 1997, Rick married Cheryl Faaborg at her parents’ farm near Lake Benton, Minnesota. The couple made their home on the farm Rick grew up on just east of Tyler. In addition to his full-time job at the station, Rick loved to farm. Whether it was caring for the animals or spending time in the fields cutting hay, he didn’t spend much time being idle. Most mornings, the station was open well before the time that was posted on the sign. He enjoyed the people he met through his work and even devoted a section in it called “Rick’s Adult Daycare” for the coffee guys that played liar’s dice for dimes. In 2000, Rick and Cheryl became owners of the station where they worked with their two sons. In January of 2022, they sold the business to the boys, where it then became S & K. Rick continued to work the front of the station until a UTV accident in October of 2022. On Friday, July 21, 2023, Rick passed away unexpectedly at his home at the age of 63 years, two months and six days.

Rick was a member of Danebod Lutheran Church in Tyler. He was a past member of the Tyler Rod and Gun Club and had helped at their annual fish fry. He had a large collection of 1/16 scale John Deere tractors in his home and when he was out on the farm in his John Deere tractor, he would be seen offering a Rick Vos wave and a big smile. He could often be found at the end of the day sitting on his bench by the barn with a beer in hand. He enjoyed taking his motorcycle to Sturgis, South Dakota and loved spending time in the Black Hills and Custer. He loved his grandkids and made sure each of them had their own John Deere pedal tractor when they were growing up and had a running joke with the grandkids that “It tastes like chicken”. He was a hard worker and quite stubborn. Rick’s spirit will continue to live on in the hearts of his family.

Rick is lovingly survived by his wife, Cheryl; three children, Shawn (Katy) Vos of Tyler, Kristopher (Kayla) Vos of Tyler, Robbyn (Matt) Kerkaert of Russell, Minnesota; 8 grandchildren, Jayden, Tucker and Tyson Vos, Avery and Haydyn Vos, and Jackson, Justin and Jettison Kerkaert; mother, Beverly Vos of Tyler; and sister, Marika (Phelan) Stahl of Huron, South Dakota; brothers-in-law, Keven (Becky) Faaborg, Brad (Sandy) Brockhouse, Ryan (Ann Marie) Brockhouse, Merlyn (Lori) Brockhouse, Loren (Whitney) Brockhouse, Howard Brockhouse, and Steve Brockhouse; sisters-in-law, Cindy (David) Hillestad, Cheryl (Jeff) Wilson; many nieces, nephews, family and friends; and trusty sidekick dogs, Kipper, Bucky, Jake, Blue and Dakota. He was preceded in death by his father, Edwin; brother, Dennis Vos; mother-in-law, Janis Brockhouse. He recently was joined in heaven by his father-in-law, Allen “Archie” Faaborg.