Funeral services for Albert E. Rieger, age 86, of Lemmon will be 2:00pm Saturday, March 25, at St. Luke's Evangelical Lutheran Church in Lemmon with Pastor Frank Gantt officiating. Burial will be in Greenhill Cemetery with full military honors afforded by the Brattvet-Green American Legion Post #66 of Lemmon.


Serving as casketbearers are his 9 grandchildren, Shannon, Becky, Robyn and Joelle Tomac; Zane, Prairie, and Reid Grate; Amber and Cassa Hollenbeck. All family and friends are considered honorary beaers.


A memorial has been established.


ALBERT EMANUEL RIEGER was born August 11, 1919 on the home place at Athboy, SD to Emanuel and Freidaricka (Perman) Rieger. He was a baptized and confirmed into the Lutheran faith and was a member of St. Luke's Evangelical Lutheran Church. He attended grades one through eight at Athana Country School near Athboy and one and one-half years of high school at Isabel. Albert never completed high school because his help was needed on the family farm. In December of 1944, Albert was drafted into the U.S. Army and served time guarding the Island of Guam during WWII. He was discharged in 1946 and was a member of the American Legion Post. He was always interested in our country and its government.


On July 2, 1947, he was united in marriage to Edna Ruth Maier in Lemmon at St. Luke's Lutheran Church located on main street at that time. This marriage was blessed for 59 years and 8 months. Albert and Edna made their home south of Keldron where they farmed and ranched for 46 years. This union in marriage was blessed with four daughters and nine grandchildren.


Albert and Edna retired and moved into Lemmon in September of 1993 where they continued to spend there retirement years together. Albert enjoyed tilling, planting, and cultivating the land. He enjoyed watching his crops grow, the harvesting and haying seasons. He enjoyed riding horseback, rounding up and trailing his cattle and giving them special care along with the help of his loving and caring wife Edna and daughters. Albert enjoyed baseball, basketball, and football on TV and listening to it on the radio. He enjoyed watching his nine grandchildren grow up. Albert entered Five Counties Nursing Home in May of 2004. He passed from this life there Monday morning, March 20, at the age of 86 years, 7 months, 9 days.


Surviving family members include his wife, Edna, Lemmon, SD; 4 daughters and sons-in-law, Rhonda and Don Tomac, Keldron, SD; Norma and Vince Lickfelt, Lemmon, SD; Myrna and John Erhardt, Lemmon, SD; Carolyn and Jay Hollenbeck, Gillette, WY; 9 grandchildren, Shannon, Becky, Robyn and Joelle Tomac; Zane Prairie, and Reid Grate; Amber and Cassa Hollenbeck; 4 sisters and 1 brother-in-law, Reneda Tietz, Aiken, MN; Helen Bryan, Kapaau, HA; Minnie and Harold Gall, McIntosh, SD; Hilda Wenner, Lemmon, SD; 1 brother and sister-in-law, Loran and Holly Rieger, Green Valley, AZ; and numerous nieces, nephews, and cousins.


Albert was preceded in death by his parents, 3 brothers, Richard Rieger, Edwin Rieger, and Allen Rieger, and 1 sister, Leona Rieger.