Richard Friske

Richard W. Friske Sr. He came from a German family, and his father Ferdinand Friske had been deported to internal exile in Siberia by the Russian Empire during World War I.

On November 3, 1970, Friske was elected to the Michigan House of Representatives where he represented the 106th district from January 13, 1971, to December 31, 1972. He defeated 10 candidates in the primary, and won because of extensive support from the John Birch Society outside the district despite his views on race and social issues being highly controversial.

While serving in the Legislature, Friske supported natalist policies towards the middle-class and population controls for welfare recipients, which he claimed would take the form of abstinence-only sex education. He spoke of the need to "curb the growth of the drone population that weakens our society" He also accused Governor William Milliken of complicity in an “international satanic conspiracy planned for this nation and the world.”

Personal life Friske married Olga Kottke on November 11, 1950, in Germany. Friske had three children, Judy, Dick Jr., and Neil Friske. Friske was Pentecostal.

Death Friske died on June 17, 2002, in his home in Banks Township.