MARSHALL — In a book of his life, Richard Jorgensen said he worked hard to get a college in his community because he needed to prove to himself he could complete his education and get a degree.

So he became a charter member and secretary of the first Marshall College Committee. Southwest State University opened in 1967.

“It was a part of my unfinished self esteem tasks that I had to complete,” Jorgensen wrote in “The Life and Times of Richard Jorgensen.” The book was published in 2000.

Jorgensen, a longtime businessman in Marshall, died Saturday at Sanford Healthcare Center in Sioux Falls, S.D.

According to SMSU President Connie J. Gores, Jorgensen was one of the last three living people from the college committee before he died.

“The Mustang family really mourn the loss of one of our long-time family members,” Gores said Tuesday. Gores also said Jorgensen was one of the first people she met when hired as president at SMSU and they walked together regularly around the campus.

“I will always be in his debt. I personally feel a sense of loss. He was one of a kind. He was always committed to the university. He was probably one of the most creative and innovative people I knew. He was really larger than life in many ways. He was always thinking ahead. He had a creative approach to everything. I’m going to miss him a lot,” Gores said.

At age 40, Jorgensen enrolled as a student at the university when it opened in 1967. He eventually earned his degree in social sciences. He also wrote a book on the history of SMSU.

Jorgensen hired a fellow student from his time spent going to class at SMSU to work at a business he owned called Credit Bureau of Marshall. Lois Henkel operates the business today.

“I worked with Dick for 45 years since I graduated from college,” Henkel said Tuesday. “I needed a job so Dick hired me at the Credit Bureau. Dick was terrific to work with.”

Al Grieg of Grieg-Gregerson Management LLC, met Jorgensen 38 years ago when he purchased a building from him.

“Over a period of time, we’ve enjoyed his friendship and also his insights,” Grieg said. “He did a lot of real estate in the area and wrote a lot of books. He’s very knowledgeable in that area.”

One of the books is called “How to Find Hidden Wealth in Local Real Estate.” Another one is called “What every Landlord Needs to Know.”

“I did very well in the credit business. However, my greatest financial success was in the real estate investment business,” Jorgensen wrote in his book. “I bought my first investment property on April 10, 1975, with my friend and temporary partner, Ivan Carrow.

“This was a run down fixer-up house. It had not been lived in for several years and there was considerable damage to the walls, floors and most of the mechanical parts of the house. He and I personally renovated the property. We put it up for sale and made a nice profit of $10,000. With my share of the profit I bought out Ivan Carrow’s interest in the vending business and bought a duplex.”

Norm Gregerson admired Jorgensen for his love for SMSU. He also enjoyed spending time at the Daily Grind to discuss “everything.”

“He was a well-read person. He had a bookstore before he started the Credit Bureau. He ended up selling the bookstore to a college professor,” Gregerson said. “His favorite TV station was the History Channel.”

Another longtime friend, Warren Quarnstrom, is one of the other original members of the college committee.

“He was a good friend. He had been active at the college since,” Quarnstrom said. He said Jorgensen was an active member of the Mustang Booster Club, and a regular in the stands at Mustang games.

“We both attended a lot of home games,” Quarnstrom said.

Jorgensen’s death was also a big loss to his neighbor, SMSU men’s basketball coach Brad Bigler.

“He was a guy who loved to laugh. A guy who enjoyed great conversation. He was very active at age 89,” Bigler said. “As a neighbor, as a friend, he was someone our family grew close to. My wife used to always joke he was more reliable than me in picking up the kids from school. He was so kind, so gentle. He had such humility about him. And he had a lot of success in his life.

“His legacy — he has touched so many people.”

Jorgensen was born on Oct. 31, 1927, in St. Paul. He is survived by his wife of 63 years, Barbara.

“I guess he was the most perfect man there ever was,” Barbara Jorgensen said. “He was generous, very caring, family orientated.”

Jorgensen is also survived by six children and nine grandchildren.

Services will be held at 10:30 a.m. Friday at Holy Redeemer Catholic Church.