RIEKENA, Willard T. 1912-1976

RIEKENA, GEERDES

Posted By: Tammy (email)
Date: 4/26/2014 at 15:43:50

Willard Riekena Dies Suddenly At Iowa Falls

Funeral services for Willard T. Riekena were held Tuesday, April 20, 1976 at 1:30 p.m. at the Doyen Funeral Home with Rev. Gideon Wolbrink officiating. Music was by Mrs. Ivan Slifer and Mrs. Harold Okones with Monica Doyen as accompanist. Casket bearers were John Welden, A. J. Waite, Charles Corbin, John Whitesell, Coert H. Bunger and Gary Klemsrud. Interment was in Shiloh cemetery in Wellsburg.

Willard T. Riekena passed away Saturday evening, April 17, 1976 at the Ellsworth Municipal Hospital in Iowa Falls due to a stroke suffered earlier in the day. He reached the age of 63 years, 8 months and 3 days.

He was born on a farm southeast of Wellsburg. On August 14, 1912, the son of Trieno and Alice (Geerdes) Riekena. He attended the rural school in the area and in 1928 graduated from the Wellsburg high school. After attending the Grundy Junior College for one year, he attended Iowa State Teachers College (now University of Northern Iowa). Later he took graduate work at the University of Iowa.

Willard taught school in St. Anthony, Baxter, Quimby, Rapid City, South Dakota before coming to Iowa Falls. He taught Math in the Iowa Falls high school and also taught in Ellsworth Community College. He had lived in Iowa Falls for approximately 31 years.

Those who preceded him in death were his parents, one sister, Mrs. Henry DeNeui (Emma) who passed away February 27, 1976 and a brother Raymond who passed away in 1942.

He is survived by two brothers: Jake T. Riekena of Reinbeck, John T. Riekena of Wellsburg and several nieces and nephews.

--The Grundy Register/Wellsburg Herald (Grundy Center, Iowa), 22 April 1976, section 2, pg 1