Richard Hildreth Reiste, 91, passed peacefully into the loving arms of Jesus Saturday, May 30, 2020, at his home in Minburn, Iowa.
A private Celebration of Life will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday, June 6 at the Iles-Brandt Chapel at 1301 Ash St. in Dallas Center. The service will be live streamed on the Iles website. Go to IlesCares.com at 12:45 p.m. Saturday and scroll to the bottom of Richard’s obituary to join in the service.
A public graveside service will follow at 2:30 p.m. Saturday at Panther Creek Church of the Brethren Cemetery at 24529 J. Ave. in rural Adel. Visitation will be held from 4-7 p.m. Friday, June 5 at the funeral home.
Richard was born March 29, 1929, in rural Adel, Iowa. He was the son of Edgar and Nettie (Hildreth) Reiste.
Prior to graduation, he served in the U.S. Coast Guard’s Merchant Marine on two different voyages. His primary duties were caring for donated livestock to rebuild war-torn countries after World War II. The group of volunteers that Richard served with became known as the Seagoing Cowboys.
He graduated from Washington Township School in 1947 and attended college at Trinidad, Colorado, and McPherson, Kansas.
On June 10, 1951, Richard was united in marriage to Jeanette Harrison, and they were married for more than 66 years.
After spending some time in Brethren Volunteer Service in New Windsor, Maryland, they lived most of their married life in Minburn. To that union three children were born, Shirley, Elaine and David.
Richard enjoyed reading, traveling, fishing, gardening and remodeling projects.
He was active in his church, where he served as Sunday school teacher and deacon for many years.
He also served his community as a member of the Minburn City Council for several terms in the 1960s and ’70s.
Richard worked at the Montgomery Ward store in Perry during the 1960s. After it closed, he worked at the Massey Ferguson tractor plant in Des Moines. Through the 1970s and ’80s, he worked for LeRoy’s Plumbing in Perry.
Richard retired from the Dallas County tile crew and did some inspection work for Xenia Water. Many people in the Perry area remember Richard remodeling and renting apartments for many years.
Richard is survived by his daughter, Elaine (Jesse) Wilkerson of Minburn; and son, David (Christine) Reiste of Lititz, Pennsylvania; six grandchildren, Jennifer Jensen, Katie French, Eric Shelley, Lisa (Travis) Risvold, Timothy D. (Carolyn) Reiste and Daniel R. Reiste; four great-grandchildren, Christopher and Jeremy Wilson, Isaac Katnik and Isaiah Risvold.
He was preceded in death by his parents; wife, Jeanette (Reiste); and daughter, Shirley Ann Reiste.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Panther Creek Church of the Brethren, 24529 J. Avenue, Adel, IA. Online condolences are welcome at www.IlesCares.com.
