RIEKENA, D. J. 1873-1929

RIEKENA

Posted By: Tammy (email)
Date: 1/30/2015 at 20:46:20

D. J. Riekena Dies Following Operation At Rochester, Minn.

Death Comes Early Monday Morning; Operation Was On Thursday

Funeral Services At Wellsburg Today

Mr. Riekena Had Served as County Supervisor During the Past Nine Years

D. J. Riekena, who for nearly nine years served Grundy county as one of the members of the board of supervisors, died at St. Mary's hospital at Rochester at 4:30 Monday morning. News of his death came as a shock to the many friends of the long time county official. For a number of months his health was below normal and he had been urged to go to a hospital for an examination. He didn't regard his condition as serious and believed that a short vacation would bring him back to normal. In company with his daughter, Mrs. John Snittjer, and J. L. Lutterman, from Wellsburg, he went to Rochester a week ago for an examination. The examination revealed a cancerous growth in the intestines.

An operation was performed Thursday and five inches of the small intestines were removed. The patient seemed to recover very well from the operation and the nurse and attending physician gave assurance that he would get along very well though it might be necessary to have a blood transfusion and a second operation within two or three weeks. His condition took a sudden change for the worse on Sunday and continued that way until the end came the following morning.

The remains were sent to the home at Wellsburg and they reached there Monday night. Funeral services are being held at Wellsburg this afternoon.

The six remaining members of the county board of supervisors are going to serve as pallbearers.

Mr. Riekena's daughter, Mrs. Snittjer, at the request of her father wrote T. L. Evans, chairman of the board of supervisors, on Saturday. The letter was a message to all of the members of the county board and it was received by them at the meeting of the board held here Monday. The letter extended greetings to the members of the board and assurance that the patient was getting along well.

Members of the board of supervisors and other county officials will be among the hundreds of other bereaved friends at the funeral services this afternoon.

Mr. Riekena had a wide acquaintance over the county. At the close of this year he would have had nine years of continuous service on the county board. During three years of that time he served as the chairman. He was re-elected to his fourth term at the last general election. His new three year term of office would have begun on the first of next January.

While Mr. Riekena was elected from the Shiloh-Melrose supervisor district his public service was in the interest of the entire county. In his public service he was fair, he was able and he was honest. The entire county is going to miss him and join with his town and community in the grief that his sudden passing has brought to them.

Mr. Riekena was born in Shiloh township in this county 56 years ago. He had made his home here continuously. He grew up on a Shiloh township farm. Shortly after his marriage he entered the mercantile business in Wellsburg and in which he was engaged until the Farmers and Merchants Bank was organized in Wellsburg when he disposed of his mercantile business and became one of the managing heads of the bank. He was also engaged in the grain business at Wellsburg and retained his active interest there up to the time of his death. The home folks who knew him best measured his value in the trust and confidence they imposed in him.

Mr. Riekena's wife died two years ago following a long illness. Members of his immediate family are his daughter, Mrs. John Snittjer, of Wellsburg, his aged father and mother, five brothers and one sister. The brothers are Ben Riekena, who lives in Montana, Fred in Monroe, South Dakota, Trieno, Wiert and Evert from Shiloh township. His sister, Anna, is making her home with her parents at Wellsburg.

The vacancy on the county board of supervisors caused by Mr. Riekena's death will be filled by an elective board composed of the county auditor, the county clerk and the county recorder. The last vacancy so filled was from the Palermo-Washington district in 1922 following the death of Supervisor George Frost. W. A. Hawn of Grundy Center, was chosen to fill this vacancy.

RESOLUTION OF SYMPATHY
The following resolution was adopted by the county board of supervisors at their meeting Monday.

WHEREAS, D. J. Riekena, a member of the Board of Supervisors of Grundy County, Iowa, passed away on July 22, 1929, at the hospital at Rochester, Minnesota,
AND, WHEREAS, this board desires to express its appreciation of his service as a public official and as a citizen
NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Board of Supervisors of Grundy county, Iowa, on their own behalf and on behalf of the people of Grundy county, Iowa, that they hereby extend, to his relatives and friends, their heartfelt sympathy, and that they hereby express their sincere appreciation of his long and efficient service in behalf of the board and in behalf of the people Grundy county, Iowa, and of his high ideals as a citizen.
T. L. Evans, Chairman
Peter H. Knock
J. J. Spieker
B. F. Hessenius
T. A. Mason
C. W. Mooty
Members of the Board of Supervisors of Grundy county, Iowa.
G. L. Eggleston, County Auditor.

--The Grundy Register (Grundy Center, Iowa), 25 July 1929, pg 1