Richard "Rich" Gene Skouge was born on March 21, 1965, to Beuman "BG" and Maxine (Samp) Skouge in Slayton, MN. He passed away May 5, 2014, at his home following a long and courageous battle with cancer with his wife and father-in-law by his side.

He attended school in Slayton and graduated from Slayton High School in 1983. Following high school he attended Pipestone Technical College to study Auto Mechanics. Upon completion of the program, he worked as a mechanic in Elk River, MN, for a time before returning to Slayton and eventually settling into a career in retail auto parts with Sturdevant's, where he worked for 21 years.

Richard and Nicole (Lang) Skouge were united in marriage on September 25, 2004, in rural Lyon County, MN. They made their first home in rural Murray County, MN. Career opportunities took them to Breckenridge, MN, for a few years before they settled in rural Meade County, making their home near Vale, SD.

Rich was a gentle, caring, compassionate man who made friends easily and shared his life openly. He was passionate about cars and spent countless hours building and restoring motors and vehicles for both racing and pleasure. He was the guy you could call with a question about some obscure motor or part and he always seemed to know the answer. Rich also enjoyed music, reading, playing cards, woodworking, science fiction movies and was nearly unbeatable at trivia. When he was able, he enjoyed traveling and spending time with friends and family. Rich was very proud that he was able to enjoy the home that he and Nicole and their family built, if even for a short time.

Rich is survived by his wife, Nicole of rural Vale, SD; his mother, Maxine of Slayton, MN; brothers, Jeffery (Debra) Skouge of Cokato, MN, and Michael (Rebecca) Skouge of Bloomington, MN; sister, Janeen (Brian) Lucker of Norwood-Young America, MN; nephews, Jeremy, Travis, Eric, Bradley, and Jacob; nieces, Rebecca and Genevieve; many great-nieces and nephews; father and mother in-law, Virlane and Judith Lang of rural Vale, SD; and many dear friends whom he regarded as family.

He is preceded in death by his father, Beuman; and maternal and paternal grandparents.

Visitation will be Friday, May 9th from 4:00 to 8:00 p.m. at Kinkade Funeral Chapel.

Funeral services will be held Saturday, May 10, 2014, at 2:00 p.m. at Grace Lutheran Church with Pastor Henrique Fleming officiating. Burial will follow at Bear Butte Cemetery. A memorial service will be held 2:00 PM May 18th at Christ Lutheran Church in Slayton, MN.

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