RIEKENA, Grietje 1848-1919

RIEKENA

Posted By: Tammy (email)
Date: 12/30/2016 at 15:51:24

Mrs. B. W. Riekena died Tuesday night, aged about 70 years. Mrs. Riekena's funeral will be held Saturday at 1 o'clock. She is an old and highly esteemed resident, and during the days when there was a call for knitters for the Red Cross, she was one of the most efficient of the helpers. It is believed that she turned out as many knitted articles as any other person in the county.

--Grundy County Dispatch (Grundy Center, Iowa), 30 April 1919, pg 3

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Mrs. B. W. Riekena, born Gretja Renken, was born in Germany, November 15, 1848. She came to this country with her parents at the age of 17, and settled in Grundy county, west of Wellsburg. She was married to Ben W. Riekena on April 9, 1870. To this union were born nine children, of whom eight, together with her husband, survive to mourn her loss. The children are: Peter B. Riekena, Mrs. John Mennenga, Joe B. Riekena, Gratus B. Riekena of Woden, Iowa, Mrs. Alle J. Ertmoed, Mrs. Ebbo Nederhoff, Mrs. George J. Geerdes, Mrs. Albert Lutterman. The cause of her death, which came April 22nd, 1919, was weaknesses attendant upon old age, as she had been steadily failing for months.

--The Grundy Republican (Grundy Center, Iowa), 8 May 1919, pg 6