Richard "Dick" Nicholas Nagel, 85, of Staples, died Oct. 1, 2009, at his home.

Funeral services were held Oct. 5, at the Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Staples with Father Scott Wittkop officiating. Burial was in Evergreen Hill Cemetery.

Richard 'Dick' Nagel was born Dec. 27, 1923 in Pierz to Michael and Helen (Block) Nagel. He attended school in the Pierz area and worked with his father on the family farm. Dick joined the U.S. Army during World War II, and was later stationed in Korea, where he was called upon, among other duties, to cut hair for the servicemen.

He returned to the U.S. and attended barber school in Minneapolis. He married Janet Herold on May 30, 1949 and they moved to Staples where they raised their family and Dick ran a barber shop for over 50 years. In 1999, he slowed down, coming into the shop only three days a week. He later moved his barber chair to his house east of Staples, where he continued to cut hair for his regular customers, having cut hair as recently as this summer.

He enjoyed barbering and visiting with his customers. He was a member of the VFW, the Knights of Columbus and a faithful member of the Sacred Heart Church.

Dick is survived by four daughters, Katherine Fuller; Patricia (Roy) DiGiovanni; both of Motley, Terri (Howard) Kangas of Perham; Julie (LeRoy) Peterson of Staples; two sons, Jeffrey (Julie) Nagel of Willmar; David (Kathryn) Nagel of Akeley; 26 grandchildren, 32 great-grandchildren, two sisters, Marie Bernice Phelps of Kansas City, Kan.; Helen LeBlane Hamrick of Little Falls; and many nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his wife; his parents, two sisters, Loretta Gross; Ernestine (Toots) Meyer; four brothers, Walter; Bernard; Raymond; Michael and one son-in-law, Jeffrey Fuller.

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