RIEKENA, W. W. 1847-1910

RIEKENA

Posted By: Tammy (email)
Date: 12/25/2016 at 16:23:58

Shiloh Township Pioneer Dead

W. W. Riekena Dies of Quick Consumption Friday

W. W. Riekena, better known over the county as "Squire" Riekena, died at his home in Shiloh township last Friday afternoon. Quick consumption is given as the cause of his death. The Squire was in Wellsburg for the last time the first of July at which time he attended the annual school meeting of which he was secretary. At that time neither he or his friends believed there was anything seriously the matter with him.

Funeral services were held at the Reform church west of Wellsburg Tuesday afternoon.

Squire Riekena came to Grundy county forty-five years ago. He died on the same farm on which the family located when they came to this county. There are not many people among us who can claim residence in Grundy county for forty-five years. There are many fewer still can lay claim to one spot as their home for that length of time.

Mr. Riekena was born in Emden, Germany, sixty-three years and one day before his death. He came to this country with his parents in 1865 and located in Shiloh township in this county. The Riekena family at that time consisted of father, mother, four sons, B. W., J. W., and W. W. and two daughters, now Mrs. Van Horn and Mrs. Ludwig. The father and mother are dead. Of those remaining all excepting Mrs. Ludwig reside in this county.

W. W. was married twenty-four years ago. He has a family consisting of a wife and five children all of whom are living.

Prior to his marriage, W. W. was engaged in the mercantile business at Mariette and Steamboat Rock. At the latter place he was also engaged in the practice of law. While he was never admitted to the bar in an ethical sense he took cases and handled them after the David Harum style. That style called for making a long story short instead of making a short story long as is the custom with many legalized attorneys. The long-story-short attorney plays short on fees. This was the case with W. W. When he had all the fun and glory that law practice at Steamboat could give him he went back to the farm where the picking was better and more reliable.

Squire Riekena took an active hand in all public matters in his county during his time. His political party has held few conventions in this county where the assenting and dissenting voice of the Shiloh township squire was not heard. He wasn't a fence rider. He was either on one or the other side of a proposition and all knew where he was at because he advertised his position. He was an obstacle in the path of the peace makers and slate makers, because he wanted to know the why and where-for of things and he wanted them known publicly. His theory was that the people shall rule and that the slate-makers take their order from them.

--Grundy County Democrat (Grundy Center, Iowa), 21 July 1910, pg 1