Edna Agnes Rieker

Edna Agnes Rieker, 97, of Aberdeen, passed away Sunday, June 12, 2016, at Avera St. Luke’s Hospital in Aberdeen.

Mass of Christian burial will be 10:00 a.m., Friday, June 17, 2016, at St. Mary’s Catholic Church, 409 2nd Avenue NE, Aberdeen, with Father Mark Axtmann as celebrant.

Burial will follow at Sacred Heart Catholic Cemetery in Aberdeen.

Visitation will be 5-7 p.m., Thursday, at the mortuary followed by a liturgical wake service and rosary at 7:00 p.m.  Visitation continues one hour prior to Mass at church on Friday.

Edna Agnes (Cihak) Rieker was born July 7, 1918, to Thomas & Antonia (Carda) Cihak.  She grew up in rural Northville, SD, attending grade and high school in the small farm community.  Edna graduated in 1938 after taking a two-year leave to help with the farming during the Great Depression.

Edna married Henry “Hank” Rieker in 1943 at All Saints Catholic Church in Mellette, SD.  The couple started their family of six children in the Chelsea, SD area and in 1960, the family relocated to the town of Mina, SD, where they raised their children.  During Christmas of 1960, Edna began working as part-time holiday help at Mercury Cleaners. Thirty-six years later, as she was about to retire, even the Aberdeen American News (at that time) felt she was important enough to do a beautiful article about her and her many years of service to the Aberdeen area.  Her one love, Hank, passed away in 1972.  Edna’s Catholic faith was very important to her and gave her the strength to continue on in Mina until moving to Aberdeen in 2000.  She lived independently until 2015, when she moved to Avera Mother Joseph Manor.  Edna continued to reside there until the time of her death.

Edna enjoyed gardening, pulling those nasty weeds, all sports that had anything to do with a ball, with her favorite being bowling.  (She had to give it up when she could no longer master the ball and the cane at the same time!) When it was cold outside it was pinochle, solitaire, and jig saw puzzles. Ah…but when spring was in the air, it was time for “her boys”, the Minnesota Twins.  She never missed watching a game and if you looked at her right hand during a game, you could always find her fingers crossed.  During close games, BOTH hands were crossed without a doubt!

Grateful for sharing Edna’s life are her children: Doris (Bill) Rathkamp of Milwaukee WI, Sylvia (Layton) Thompson of Montrose, SD, Dennis (Dottie) Rieker of Aberdeen, Thomas (Deb) Rieker of Aberdeen, Adele (Len) Wolf of Aberdeen and Richard Rieker of Des Moines, IA; nine grandchildren: Jolene, Tanya, Erica, Rebecca, Spencer, Eric, Aaron, JoAnn, and Jamie; fifteen great-grandchildren: Chelsea, Cory, Madison, Aaron, Zachary, Sawyer, Brooklyn, Rylee, Sebastian, Alex, Cody, Taylor, Cassie, Jackson, and Jacob; and three great great-grandchildren: Tillie, Les, and Sophia.

Edna was preceded in death by her husband; her parents; two brothers, Leo and Lodi; and two sisters, Helen and Clara.

Edna’s family would like to give special thanks to the wonderful and caring staff at Avera Mother Joseph Manor and Avera St. Luke’s Hospital.

Cards and memorials may be sent to: 1311 N. Penn St., Aberdeen, SD  57401.