Richard "Dick" Craig Belshaw

Richard “Dick” Craig Belshaw, 95, of rural Carthage, Illinois, passed away on Monday, March 9, 2026, at Memorial Hospital in Carthage. Born on July 17, 1930, southwest of Bentley, Illinois, to Donald C. and Irene Allen Belshaw, he graduated from Carthage High School in 1948. On October 22, 1950, he married Lucille “Dude” Howd in Carthage, and the couple shared more than 75 years together as husband and wife.

A lifelong farmer, Dick raised grain and livestock south of Carthage. He was a devoted member of the First United Methodist Church and served his community for many years as a Harmony Township cemetery trustee, school board member for three districts, and active participant in the ATA, NFO, Carthage Gun Club, and Swing Easy square dance club of Keokuk, Iowa. He was also a longtime member of the Carthage Eagles Club, where he enjoyed making pancakes for the monthly breakfasts. Above all, he cherished his role as husband, father, and grandfather. He took great pride in teaching his grandchildren and great-grandchildren to fish, garden, and hunt for mushrooms, sharing countless adventures that included feeding fish, riding on the tractor, and camping. He remained a lifelong fan of Allis Chalmers tractors and Gleaner combines.

Dick is survived by his wife, Lucille; daughters Joyce (Dave) Biery, Judy (Dave) Hartweg of Carthage, and Janice (Rusty) Baird of Whitesburg, Tennessee; grandchildren Tera (Shannon) Stewart of Sullivan, Ryan (Erin) Biery of Carthage, Jennifer (Joel) Brown of Crescent City, Samantha (Darin) Klingler of Carthage, Jason Hartweg of Carthage, and Amanda (Ricky) Gibson of St. Louis, Missouri; great-grandchildren Scott and Matthew Garrelts, Rylan and Jake Stewart, Katie, Anna, and Luke Biery, Rylie and Connor Brown, Jackson and Miranda Klingler, and Jayden, Jozie, and Jordy Fields; and six great-great-grandchildren. He is also survived by his siblings Betty Collins of Shawano, Wisconsin, Glen (Eileen) Belshaw of Carthage, and Margie Pollpeter of Ft. Madison, Iowa. He was preceded in death by his parents.