Richard T. Aplara October 9, 1968 - October 12, 2003

      Richard "Rich" Thomas Aplara, 34, of Lockridge, died on Sunday, Oct. 12, 2003, at his home following an accident.

      The memorial service will be at 10:30 a.m. on Thursday, Oct. 16, 2003, at the United Methodist Church in Mt. Pleasant, with the Rev. Jeffrey McPheron officiating. Burial will be at a later date at the Richwood Cemetery. Visitation will begin at noon on Wednesday, Oct. 15 at the Beatty Funeral Home in Mt. Pleasant, with family present from 5 to 8 p.m. Memorials have been established for his children.

      Survivors include his wife; his father Bruce and his wife Doris Campbell Aplara of Trenton; his mother Donna Rae Van Tuyl and her husband Darrell Messersmith of Brooklyn; six children, Tyler and Nicole of Burlington, Kara and Zachary of Muscatine and Amy and Andrea of Lockridge; three brothers, Doug and his wife Toni Aplara of Trenton; Mike Aplara of Mt. Pleasant, and Terry Aplara of Trenton; four sisters, Debra Aplara of Albion, Roberta and her husband Brian Sammons of Mt. Pleasant, Angela and her husband Kyle Townsend of Gilman; and Toni Aplara of Iowa City; and grandparents, Lucille Campbell of Wayland, and May Davis of Des Moines.

      He was preceded in death by his grandparents, Richard and Virginia Van Tuyl and Max Davis.