RIEKENA, Alena 1907-1987

RIEKENA, SCHAFER, DETERS

Posted By: Tammy (email)
Date: 12/16/2016 at 18:47:43

Rites Held For Alena Riekena

Mrs. Alena H. Riekena of Grundy Center and formerly of Wellsburg, passed away at 10:55 p.m. Sunday, January 18, at the Long Term Care Unit of the Grundy County Memorial Hospital in Grundy Center.

Funeral services were held at the First Christian Reformed Church, Wellsburg, on Wednesday, January 21, at 2 p.m. Rev. John H. Bergsma officiated.

Richard Schafer sang "Where the Roses Never Fade," and "The Last Mile of the Way." He was accompanied by Miss Elizabeth Eckhoff, who also played selected numbers for the prelude and postlude.

The casket bearers were Larry Kruse, David Kruse, Richard Schafer, Bernard Beninga, Donald Main and Harlan Beninga.

The ushers were David Miller and Roy Luiken. Mrs. Ruth Sonksen and Mrs. Samuel Rust were in charge of the floral arrangements.

The committal service was held immediately following the funeral service. Relatives and friends were invited to remain at the church following the services for a period of Christian fellowship and refreshments.

Interment was in the First Christian Reformed Church Cemetery, rural Wellsburg.

Mrs. Riekena was born April 12, 1907, on a farm northwest of Wellsburg in Shiloh township, Grundy county, the daughter of Henry R. and Martha Deters Schafer. She attained the age of 79 years, nine months and six days.

She grew up and attended the Wellsburg school. On January 14, 1931, she was united in marriage to Ben P. Riekena. After their marriage, they lived in Wellsburg for 30 years, moving and making their home in Grundy Center in 1960.

Her husband, Ben, passed away on July 18, 1976.

She was a long time member of the First Christian Reformed Church and the Queen Esther Circle and had served on the church flower committee for over 25 years. She was also a member of the Grundy Center Garden Club and also enjoyed singing in the various nursing homes every week. She became a member of the Long Term Care Unit on August 9, 1986.

She was preceded in death by her parents, husband, one sister, Tena, one brother, Thomas, one eight-year-old brother, Richard, and by two infant daughters.

She is survived by three sisters, Mrs. Bertha Meints of Jenison, MI, Mrs. Jennie Beninga of Grundy Center and Mrs. John H. (Henrietta) Kruse of Wellsburg, and by several nieces and nephews.

A memorial fund has been established.

The Doyen-Abels Funeral Home, Wellsburg, was in charge of the funeral arrangements.

--The Grundy Register/Wellsburg Herald (Grundy Center, Iowa), 22 January 1987, pg 3