Frances Wilson Riess, 18 Sept 1917 – 09 Oct 2012

RIESS, GILMORE, LITTLE, HALL, HYDE, CREEDEN, SWANSON, DICKSON, LUNDBERG, KIRKPATRICK, HARVEY

Posted By: Sandy Ficken (email)
Date: 10/23/2012 at 16:15:39

Frances Riess, 95

Frances Riess, 95, North English, died Tuesday, Oct. 9, 2012, at Mercy Hospital, Iowa City.

Upon cremation, there will be family graveside services at the North English Cemetery.

Memorial funds have been established for Valley View Assisted Living, North English, and English Valleys High School’s “Dollars For Scholars.”

Messages and tributes may be left at www.powellfuneralhomes.com.

Frances Wilson Riess was born Sept. 18, 1917, in Garden Grove, the daughter of Alexander and Sarah Little Gilmore. Her family moved to Williamsburg in 1918 and then to North English in 1920. She attended elementary school and graduated from North English High School in 1935. She was a teacher at Grant School in Keokuk County from 1936 to 1937.

In 1937, she married William Riess in Galesburg, Ill., and returned to farm near North English until 1977 when they built a home in town. He died in 2004 and she moved to Valley View Assisted Living in 2008. She remained there until her death.

She was active in support of her children’s activities, including music boosters, Boy Scouts, 4-H and numerous others. Her greatest joy was her family, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

The couple were strong advocates of education. They supported their children and spouses and grandchildren in their educational endeavors. Their family has achieved a total of 21 degrees from various colleges and universities.

Riess is survived by two daughters, Ramona and John Hall, North English, and Sandra and Dexter Hyde, Cedar Falls; one son, William Jr. and Beverly, West Des Moines; five grandchildren, Julie (Hyde) and Paul Creeden, Cedar Falls; Michelle (Hyde) and Chad Swanson, Cedar Falls; Sarah (Hall) and Lance Dickson, The Netherlands: Chris and Jamie Hall, North English, and Jennifer (Riess) and Tim Lundberg, Urbandale; 11 great-grandchildren whom she thoroughly enjoyed, Matthew and Elizabeth Swanson, Margaret and Thomas Creeden, Allie and Luke Lundberg, Tucker, Madeline and Elijah Dickson and Kaden and Delaney Hall.

She was preceded in death by her husband, her parents, two sisters, Margaret Kirkpatrick and Evelyn Harvey, and four brothers, Robert, Fred, George and David Gilmore.

The Williamsburg Journal Tribune, IOWA COUNTY OBITUARIES – 18 Oct 2012, pg 11
The Gazette, 11 Oct 2012, pg 9a