Funeral services for Aurelia Riedy will be held on Thursday, November 2, at 9:00 a.m. at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Lemmon SD. Fr Brian Fawcett will officiate with burial in Greenhill Cemetery at Lemmon.

A rosary service will be held at 7:00pm on Wednesday evening at St. Mary's Catholic Church.


Serving as casketbearers are Josh Riedy, Erich Hermes, Travis Riedy, Jessie Faydo, Ben Hermes, Nicole Riedy, Chelsea Riedy, Brian Hermes, John Riedy, Ryan Riedy, Melissa Riedy, Amanda Riedy, John Randolph Riedy, Nathan Hermes, Rebecca Schrupp, and Holly Jo Riedy.


Mrs. Riedy died on Sunday, October 29, at Five Counties Nursing Home in Lemmon, at the age of 96.


Ellen Aurelia (Funk) Riedy was born to Martin and Eunice (Nixon) Funk on August 3, 1910, at Lake Andes, SD. When she was seven, she and her family moved to Edgewood IA where she attended grade school and graduated at age 16 from high school. After graduation, she enrolled at Northern Normal and Industrial School in Aberdeen SD to become a teacher. In 1928, she graduated with a one-year certificate which entitled her to teach in a rural school in South Dakota. In August 1928, she came to Lemmon to teach at the Comstock School, located on the William Riedy farm southeast of Lemmon. For twelve years she taught in rural schools, mainly in Perkins County, including Comstock, Coal Springs, Quinn, Thunder Butte, and Bunn schools, renewing her certificate periodically and obtaining a two-year certificate. In 1939, she moved to Lemmon to teach in the elementary grades and taught there until 1942.


On July 14, 1942, she married John Riedy at the Rapid City Cathedral, after which she left teaching for seventeen years while she and her husband farmed and raised seven children. In the fall of 1960, she returned to teaching, first at the Comstock School and later in Lemmon. Before and during her return to teaching, she attended summer school at Black Hills State College for seven summers, receiving a B.S. in Elementary Education in the summer of 1965. She continued teaching in Lemmon until her retirement in 1975.


After retirement, she lived on the Riedy farm for many years, until she was 89, at which time she suffered a broken hip and moved to Missouri Slope Care Center in Bismarck ND in September 1999. In June 2001, after the death of her husband, she moved back to Lemmon to Five Counties Nursing Home, where she remained until her death on October 29. She had been in failing health for the past several years, particularly after suffering two broken legs over a year ago.


Aurelia Riedy is survived by her children: Mary Hickerson (Jack), Marshall MN; John Riedy (Cheryl Klein), Mankato MN; David Riedy (Carol Petersen), Bismarck ND; Thomas Riedy, Siebert CO; Denise Hermes (Bill), Sutherlin OR; Jean Riedy (Todd Schrupp), Milbank; and Michael Riedy (Ann), Lemmon; 20 grandchildren; 13 great-grandchildren; her sister Catherine Griffin (Leo) of Rapid City; sister-in-law Caryl Funk of Parker CO; 4 nieces and 2 nephews.


She was preceded in death by her husband, John; grandson Robin Riedy; her two brothers Burr and Lowell Funk; and her parents, Martin and Eunice Funk.


A memorial has been established.