April 20, 1947 - November 21, 2023
A memorial service with military honors conducted will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Aug. 10, 2024, at the Lone Rock Legion in Lone Rock. Burial will take place at the Fenton Township Cemetery rural Lone Rock.
Richard Allen Pettit, Roscoe, Rich, Amos, and “Mr. Wonderful” as Flo used to call him and was the son of Woodrow “Puggy” and Margaret “Bett” (Householder) Pettit was born April 20, 1947, at St. Ann’s Hospital in Algona. Richard started kindergarten in Lone Rock then later Lone Rock, Fenton, and Seneca, consolidated into Sentral of Fenton and he graduated from Sentral in 1965.
He worked on building elevators and then entered the U.S. Marine Corps on April 27, 1966. Some of the places he was in were Camp Lejeune, N.C., Puerto Rico and Vietnam. While he was in Vietnam, he was awarded a Meritorious Mast. All circuits were in an operational “down” status due to lack of power. It was Corporal Pettit’s outstanding professional knowledge, skill and untiring efforts that these circuits were brought back on the air. Moreover, he had demonstrated qualities of leadership, intelligence, professional knowledge, and initiative far superior to those normally found in or expected of a Marine of his rank or experience. He was Honorably discharged April 27, 1970.
He went out to California where his uncle Dale, Aunt Marjorie (Pettit) Earing and their three kids lived. He graduated from the University of California, Davis. Then he worked in the vineyards. His boss was Andy and they started calling them “Amos and Andy” that is where “Amos” came from.
When his mom was dying from cancer, Jake, Beeler and Roscoe all quit their jobs and came home to take care of her. Their sister Peggy went out every day for 10 or more hours a day, Wayne, Peggy’s husband, would come out after work every night and play cards with Dad and the boys. Then when dad had his stroke, he was working at Weidenhoff as a welder (now Snap-on), Jake was working in Whittemore, Beeler came back home from Alaska and Peggy went out every day until the end.
Roscoe went back to California again until his health became too bad. He had been in Agent Orange in Vietnam. He was one of the millions, “that paid the price.” He moved back to Iowa in 2012 and helped Darby Gross with the farming.
Richard “Roscoe” Pettit died on Nov. 21, 2023. He was 76.
He is survived by his brother Bernard “Butch” Pettit and his wife Margie, from Buckeye, Ariz; his sisters Gail “Susie” Person and her husband John of Lone Rock and Peggy Preston of Fenton; many nieces and nephews and especially Alan “Darby” and Sherry Gross, Gary “Sam” and Pam Schmidt, Dave and Marla Schmidt, Marcia Hanna, special cousins, Rhonda Earing, Denise “Earing” Rich and her husband Marc, Donna Bierle, her late husband Richard and their family.
He was proceeded in death by his mom Bett and his dad Puggy Pettit; his brothers Jake and Beeler; brother-in-law Wayne Preston; two nephews, Barry Preston and Donald Pettit; his cousin and best friend Gene Hanna and cousin Kenny Earing.
Online condolences may be sent to oakcrestfuneralservices.com.