FREESE, Riebke 1887-1976

FREESE, GIEKEN, SANTEN

Posted By: Tammy (email)
Date: 3/9/2017 at 13:58:53

Riebke Freese Died Dec. 15

Riebke Freese died on the evening of December 15, 1976 at the Maple Manor in Aplington where he had been since August of 1975. He was 89 years and nearly 3 months old.

Funeral services were held Saturday at the Presbyterian Church in Steamboat Rock with Rev. Bruce Baillie officiating. Mrs. Leland Pieters was organist and vocalists were Mrs. Orville Ascher and Mrs. James McDonald. Mrs. Robert Ruppelt and Mrs. Rex Heard were in charge of the flowers.

Pallbearers were Herman Prmus, Rex Heard, Glen Callaway, Don Finger, William Burns and Juchem Juchems. Interment was in the Pleasant Valley cemetery, Holland, Iowa.

Riebke Freese was born September 19, 1887 in Grundy County, Iowa, to Ralph and Trientje Freese. He was joined in marriage to Effie Gieken on June 29, 1911 near Ackley. From their union came 13 children: six boys and seven girls. They farmed in the Wellsburg-Holland area. Effie died May 18, 1939 at their home east of Holland. On February 21, 1947, he was married to Lena Santen in the Presbyterian parsonage at Steamboat Rock. He retired from farming and they moved to Steamboat Rock where he joined the Steamboat Rock Presbyterian Church on August 28, 1948 and continued a member in good standing. His wife Lena died October 26, 1972. Remarkably, both marriages were able to celebrate the 25th wedding anniversary.

He was preceded in death by his parents; his first wife, Effie Gieken; his second wife, Lena Santen; four children, Rosemary (who died in infancy), Ruth, John, and Arnold; one brother, Chris; four sisters, Fanna (Mrs. Guy Lauterbach), Hanna (Mrs. Guy Francis), Jennie (Mrs. Rotger Rotgers), and Hilke (Mrs. Ontje Wessels).

He is survived by four sons: Arthur of Dike, LeRoy of Cedar Falls, Richard of Dike, and Floyd of Dike; five daughters, Gladys (Mrs. Ben VanLangen) of Steamboat Rock, Irene (Mrs. Ted Harms) of Grundy Center, Esther (Mrs. Melvin Purvis) of Pine River, Minn., Ethel (Mrs. Charles Rhoads) of Grundy Center, Juliette (Mrs. Robert Ugulini) of Bondurant; two brothers, John of Wellsburg and Louie of Greene; two sisters, Anna (Mrs. James Stenberg) of Ackley, Nancy (Mrs. Joe Meints) of Ackley; 31 grandchildren and 21 great-grandchildren.

--The Grundy Register (Grundy Center, Iowa), 23 December 1976, pg 4