“To some he will be just another COVID number, but to most he was described as a Husband, Son, Father, Brother, Pawpaw, Friend, a Second Dad, a Mentor, a Hunting buddy, a Boss, or a Guide.” These are the beautiful words that a family member commented about 60-year-old Richard Muennink, of Hondo, who sadly passed away after a tough battle with COVID-19.
That is a sad reality of this pandemic; the numbers that are reported could never describe the many ways COVID-19 has devastated families, many of whom lost loved ones, and many who continue suffering from ongoing effects for weeks and months after “recovering” from COVID, due to the many ways this virus leads to an attack on our lungs, hearts, kidneys, and other organs.
Richard Muennink loved to hunt, fish, and put in a hard day’s work, and that was evident as he continued to do all of those things up until the virus had him feeling so ill, he could “hardly lift his feet to walk”–in his own words.
With his passing, family, friends, and hunters from all over the place have commented about what a tough and fun-loving man he was. We smiled seeing that this ol’ rancher never lost his spirit–even from where he sat in the hospital bed—he was messaging friends asking “Did it rain in Hondo?”
COVID took a heavy toll on Mr. Muennink’s organs, but he fought this horrible virus long enough to test negative, get out of the hospital, and to see his loving wife Suzanne and daughters Karla and Kourtney one more time before leaving for Heaven Thursday, July 30th.
Weeks before his passing, Richard’s loving wife, Suzanne, shared their story hoping to help others. She makes an important point, noting that she and her husband both tested negative during the first few days of the illness.
“I never thought I’d be having to tell our story about COVID, but here it is,” Mrs. Muennink said. “Richard’s symptoms started as tummy issues. The next day it went to breathing issues and a cough. He got on a zpack and steroids and I tried to get him to a good ER room in SA. They wouldn’t do a COVID test because he had no fever. He had fever the night before. We left exasperated….what hospital won’t do a COVID test if you’re coughing your head off in Texas???
“The next day Richard drove to SA and had a rapid test done which showed negative. He was on Day 5. I felt relieved but I could tell he still didn’t feel well. His steroids were making him feel somewhat better.
“Days later, his cough and chest congestion were getting worse. I started running a fever myself and had cold symptoms but not bad. We also had learned that the rapid tests don’t show positive unless you’re on Day 6-8 of symptoms. If you go in too early, rapid tests do not always work.
“By Day 11, nothing was working for Richard….cough syrups, more antibiotics, albuterol breathing treatments. Being diabetic, his blood sugars were sky rocketing. I finally took him to the Hondo ER that evening. He said he couldn’t breathe anymore.
“Once you drop them off, you have no idea what they are doing to them or the results of any tests. The nurse called that night, and said they were transferring him to a cardiology hospital. “All I could do was pray because my fever was coming up also. I started feeling awful and slept for days, talking to him here and there. My daughters were calling the hospital and getting details on him, when I had no strength to even hold a phone.
“Finally, on Day 6 of my starting symptoms I teleconferenced with a doctor at the local Urgent Care and she said to come park in the parking lot and they would come out and do a rapid test. “
Mrs. Muennink finally got a positive test result that day, July 18.
“It’s a bad virus. Wear your mask. Wash your hands. Keep your distance,” Mrs. Muennink added.
Richard sadly passed away Thursday, July 30, 2020. Services were held Monday and Tuesday, and the family suggests memorials may be made to The Old Iron Trail Ride (Make A Wish), c/o Cynthia Haass Patterson, 6155 State Highway 173N, Devine, Texas 78016.
Family Fundraiser
A Go Fund Me Account has been created to ease the unexpected financial burden.
On the fundraiser page, his daughter Karla Bedford commented, “My dad, Richard Muennink- owner of Action Outdoor Adventures, fought a long and hard fight against the Coronavirus. While under care we found many organs could not function without the help of machines and medicine, and ultimately the virus had taken over. He took his last breath after seeing/hearing/touching his wife, Suzanne, and two daughters, Karla and Kourtney on July 30, 2020.
“Most can’t find the right words. Most can’t visit. And everyone is asking what they can do? You can help us take some of the unforeseen financial burden off of our mother and give him a proper funeral service by donating here. Right now she is planning on going back to teaching…..Please help us give her heart time to heal and time to get her feet on the ground. We appreciate the town of Hondo, all the church families, and the hunting family for their outpour of prayers, support, and love. Thank you for sharing all of the great memories of Dad and how he’s impacted your lives. He really was a true blessing.”
I thought it was beautiful that he fought this terrible virus hard enough that he was able to get out of hospital and see you and your girls again. I hope I understood everything correctly. And we’ve said many prayers for you during this trying time.
By Kayleen Holder
Editor