RIEKENA, Ben J. 1877-1951

RIEKENA, ROSS

Posted By: Tammy (email)
Date: 9/22/2021 at 06:46:58

Missoula Man Dies

Missoula, March 6--AP--Ben J. Riekena, 73, died on the way to a hospital yesterday after being found in the snow along a street near the city limits. Coroner Ralph M. Simmons attributed the death to a heart attack.

Coroner Simmons said Riekena apparently had tried to start his car, then had started for a garage to get assistance. Two men found Riekena lying in the snow and took him to a hospital, but he was dead on arrival, Simmons said.

Riekena came to Montana in 1910 from South Dakota and to Missoula in 1929 from Billings. Surviving are four sons, five daughters, including Mrs. Tom Davis and Mrs. William Sever, both of Butte, and 24 grandchildren.

--The Independent-Record (Helena, Montana), 6 March 1951, pg 2

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Ben Riekena Is Dead in Montana

Word was received by relatives in Wellsburg Monday afternoon of the sudden death of Ben Riekena at his home in Missoula, Montana. It is believed that a stroke or a heart attack was the cause of his death. He was 73 years old.

Ben Riekena was born and grew up in Shiloh township. He lived here until after he was married, when he and his wife moved to a farm in South Dakota. A number of years later they moved to Montana. His wife died about 15 years ago. Since that time he lived alone.

There are nine surviving children. One of them, Mrs. Henry O'Kones, lives here. Mrs. O'Kones left Tuesday by train for Montana to remain until after the funeral service. There are four surviving brothers and one sister, Annie, who lives in Wellsburg. The brothers are Fred from Monroe, South Dakota, Treno, Evert and Wiert from this community.

Date for the funeral has not been available. The Register will publish a more complete account of Mr. Riekena's life in the next issue.

--The Grundy Register (Grundy Center, Iowa), 8 March 1951, pg 10

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A brief report was made in the last issue of The Register about Ben Riekena who died suddenly of a heart attack at his home in Missoula, Montana, March 5th.

He was born Nov. 25, 1877, in Shiloh township. He attended the State Teachers college in Cedar Falls and taught school for several years. On Jan. 9, 1901, he was united in marriage with Rieka Ross. They made their home on a farm near Parker, So. Dak. In 1910 he and his family went to Nihill, Montana, and in 1920 to Missoula, Mont.

Mrs. Riekena passed away in 1933 and two daughters, Mrs. Emma Johnson in 1935 and Mrs. Annie Maio in 1932. He also was preceded in death by his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Johannes Riekena, and one brother, Dick.

He is survived by nine children: Roy, Missoula, Mont.; John, Stevensville, Mont.; Nettie O'Kones, Wellsburg; Ethel Ong, Mullan, Idaho; Bill, Arlee, Mont.; Bernice Davis, Butte, Mont.; Polly Soini, Wiesbaden, Germany; Dick, Mullan, Idaho; and Peggy Sever, of Mullan, Idaho. Also by four brothers and one sister: Fred, Monroe, So. Dak.; Wiard, Trieno, Evert and Annie, all of Wellsburg.

There are 28 grandchildren.

Mrs. Henry O'Kones and Mrs. W. H. Meyer attended the funeral.

--The Grundy Register (Grundy Center, Iowa), 8 March 1951, pg 10

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