Grace A. (Thorson) Riebe, 88, of Ottawa, went to her Heavenly home on November 14, 2018 at Park Pointe Healthcare and Rehab Center in Morris, surrounded by her family.
Funeral services will be at 11 a.m. on Monday, November 26, 2018 at Crossbridge Community Church, with Rev. Kevin Donoho, Pastor, officiating. Burial will follow at Oakwood Memorial Park. Visitation will be Sunday, November 25, 2018 at the Mueller Funeral Home in Ottawa, from 2 to 5 p.m., and on Monday at the church, one hour prior to the services.
Grace was born on September 14, 1930 in Fairview, MT to Arthur and Mabel (Syring) Thorson. She married Earl Riebe on April 30, 1949 at Seneca Lutheran Church. Her early years as a wife and mother, she’d come in the house with her Aunt Jemima look after hours on the tractor. Days she was not in the field, she would prepare & bring elaborate meals to those that were.
She was an avid gardener of vegetables and flowers, fabulous cook, cake decorator, and had a love for gospel and country music. She served as a Sunday School teacher and youth group leader at Zion Lutheran Church. Journaling her life every day was a passion of hers for over 65 years.
Grace always dressed in her signature style; blazer, scarf, hat with a pin embellishment & an array of coordinating jewelry when she made her weekly trip to town. Catalog shopping became one of her favorite pastimes and she looked forward to her package deliveries.
Her home, filled with a multitude of angels, reflected each season’s colors and every holiday was decorated to the hilt. The Christmas season began with a family favorite, the traditional shopping trip but the heart of the holiday was singing songs and reading the Christmas story celebrating Jesus’ birth. For Jesus’ resurrection on Easter, we attended church in our Sunday best and for generations posed for family pictures that were placed in a book of memories.
A compassionate heart for others, she often sent cards adorned with stickers from her collection. Her “Amazing Grace” writings, posted on Facebook, were admired by many. She was the most non-judgmental person, many came to her and left feeling accepted and loved. She was a Prayer Warrior & a Mom/Mema to many. She was an angel in her own right and lived the legacy of her name.
Her life song carries on through 5 children, Gayle E. (Robert) Wilson, Nancy E. Ugland, Linda S. (Bill) Backos, Wade A. Riebe, and Sherri L. (Keith) Countryman, all of Ottawa, 15 grandchildren, 28, great grandchildren, 1 great-great granddaughter, a sister, Irma Collins, of Argyle, WI, and 3 special friends Karen Moriarty, Ann Taylor, and Peggy Grote.
She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband Earl, on August 8, 2012, a brother Paul Thorson, a grandson, Erik Ugland, and a son-in-law Kurt Ugland.
Pallbearers will be Rob Wilson, Ryan Wilson, Leon Backos, Dustin Riebe, Jesse Riebe, Tylar Countryman, Teague Ugland, and Marc Fogarty.
Honorary Pallbearers will be Jason Drake, Matt Holdridge, Greg Nelson, Don Douglas, Terry “Pops” Henderson, Scott Newbury, Bruce Delmet, Bryn Doran, and Tyler Modglin. Honorguards will be Bob Wilson, Bill Backos, Keith Countryman, Wade Riebe, and Kurt Ugland.
Memorials may be directed to Dare2Care, Love Outreach Center, Inc., Zion Lutheran Church, or Joliet Area Hospice.
Grace has been laid to rest in the Garden of Hymns.
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