Richard "Dick" Thomas Kuball

Richard “Dick” Thomas Kuball, age 89, of Mapleton passed away on Saturday, January 27, 2024. 

Visitation will be held from 4-7 p.m., on Friday, February 2, 2024, at St. John Lutheran Church, Mapleton. Memorial service will be held at 11 a.m., on Saturday, February 3, 2024, at St. John Lutheran Church, Mapleton, with visitation one hour prior. Burial will be in Union Cemetery, Mapleton. Livestream of the service will be available at www.mankatomortuary.com 

Richard was born on March 6, 1932 in Cavalier County, North Dakota to Godfrey (Pat) and Hilda (Sperling) Kuball. He was baptized at the Lutheran Church in Dresden, North Dakota and confirmed at the Lawton, North Dakota Lutheran Church. 

After graduating from Lawton High School in 1952, Dick received his Bachelor of Arts Degree from Concordia College in Moorhead, Minnesota in 1956. He played baseball and basketball, was the Senior Class President and sang in the Men's Chorus. He later received his Master of Education Degree from the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks. 

Dick taught and coached in Eagle Bend, Minnesota for four years where he met his wife Athanna “Ann,” his wife of 64 years. He then served as Principal and Superintendent of Schools in Jeffers, Minnesota from 1962-1969. Dick then went on to be the Superintendent of Schools for 23 years Mapleton, Amboy Good Thunder, and Minnesota Lake. Those three school districts subsequently became the Maple River School District. Upon retirement in 1992, Dick joined the Minnesota School Boards Association as an Administrative Assistant on a part time basis for seven years. 

Dick was a member of St. John Lutheran Lutheran Church of Mapleton where he was a member of the choir, a teacher, an usher, a greeter, and Bible Lesson Reader. He was a member of the Mapleton Sertoma Club and served as a past President. 

Dick married the love of his life, Athanna “Ann” Brazill in the Methodist church in Eagle Bend, Minnesota on June 6, 1959. He enjoyed traveling, sports, movies, reading crossword puzzles and playing cards. Most of all, he enjoyed life with Ann, their three sons, their daughters-in-law, their grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. 

In 1987, he was selected as an Administrator of Excellence by his peers and honored as such by the Minnesota Association of School Administrators. 

Dick had a great sense of humor and emceed several events including the Annual Robert Burns Program in Mapleton. He had a lifelong passion for baseball and loved to play it, coach it, and help teach his sons and grandsons the game. He played shortstop growing up in North Dakota (known as Scooter) and Concordia College. Dick tried out for the Grand Forks Chiefs and then the Farm Club of the Pittsburgh Pirates. There were many great memories including striking out Roger Maris in an American Legion game, however, the next two times Maris came up to bat, he hit home runs that Dick said, "never came down". 

Dick is survived by his wife Ann; sons, Kevin (Jody) of Lexington, Kentucky, Kent (Chris) of Hutchinson, Minnesota, and Kurt (Janet) of Owatonna, Minnesota; grandchildren, Amanda (Ian) Cvancara, Alex, Chelsea, Philip, Will and Sarah; two great-grandchildren, Maverick, and Axel; sister, Joanie Aamot of Ashby, Minnesota.  

He was preceded in death by sister, Marilyn Wencil and brother, Robert Kuball and several cousins, nieces, and nephews.  

The Kuball Family would especially like to thank The Mapleton Community Home, Abby and Laura from Brighton Hospice and The Pillars of Mankato for their wonderful care. Memorials preferred to donor's choice.