Richard Wybierala

Richard A. "Dick" Wybierala, "The Polish Prince", age 76 of Sauk Centre, died Wednesday, January 21, 2009 at St. Michael's Hospital in Sauk Centre, Minnesota.

Services will be held at 5:30 p.m. Friday, January 23 at the Patton-Schad Funeral Home in Sauk Centre with Rev. Todd Schneider officiating. Also participating will be Sauk Centre United Veterans and Star in the West Masonic Lodge 60.

Friends may call from 4 to 5:30 p.m. Friday at the funeral home in Sauk Centre.

Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, January 24 at St. Casimir's Catholic Church in St. Paul with visitation at the church one hour prior to the service. Interment will follow at St. Mary's Cemetery in North St. Paul.

Richard Wybierala was born August 25, 1932 in St. Paul, Minnesota to Lawrence and Eunice (Smith) Wybierala. He attended St. Casimir Catholic School and Church and was a graduate of Johnson High School in St. Paul. He worked at Keller Golf Course and met many of St. Paul's politicians. He married Helen Urman in 1950 in St. Paul and he later married Alice Babou in Las Vegas, Nevada. He had served in the U.S. Marine Corps. He had been in the trash hauling business for over 50 years, operating Poor Richards, Inc., Haul A Way Systems, both in St. Paul, and Metro Refuse in Shakopee. He was the first firm to start recycling and resources recovery and the first transfer station in the Midwest. For the past 15 years he had also owned and operated Saukinac Campground in Sauk Centre.He was a member of the American Polish Club, the Moose Lodge in Maplewood, and Star in the West Masonic Lodge 60 of Sauk Centre.

Survivors include daughter, Patricia (Kenneth) Schultz of St. Paul; son, Thomas (Shari) Wybierala of St. Paul; step-son, Steve (Linda) Isaacson of St. Paul; step-daughter, Kelly Darwin of St. Paul; 13 grandchildren, Amber, Thomas, and Todd Wybierala, Ken, Richard, Tyrone, and Rochelle Schultz, Bob, Mike, and Tim Isaacson, Colton, Johnny, and Aleasha Darwin; 16 great-grandchildren; one great-great-grandchild; sisters, Marian (Jack) Cowles of Clear Lake, Wisconsin and Eleanore "Ellie" Scott of Sauk Centre; sisters-in-law, Charlotte Wybierala and Pat Wybierala, both of St. Paul; many nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents; brothers, Larry, Theodore, and George Wybierala; wife, Alice Wybierala; ex-wife, Helen Nichols; and special friend, Dianne Meyers.

Serving as casket bearers will be Thomas Wybierala, Brian Jurek, Todd Wybierala, Ken, Richard, and Tyrone Schultz.