Kay Rieck

Kay Rieck, age 81, of Milbank, SD, passed away on Monday, December 7, 2020, at Avantara – Milbank.

A graveside service will be held on Saturday, December 12, 2020, at 1:00 p.m. at Mound Cemetery in Ortonville.

While maintaining social distancing guidelines, we are now able to accommodate gatherings of up to 250 people. The use of face masks by attendees is required, and we will continue taking the necessary steps to keep our facility clean. For those who prefer or require continued precautions, webcasting and/or livestreaming is available in most situations.

Kay Francis (Wood) Rieck was born on April 25, 1939, in Wheaton, MN, to Dennis and Carolyn (Finke) Wood. She grew up and attended school in the Wheaton area. When Kay was a small child, she tragically lost her mother in 1947. Her father remarried and her stepmother, Ella, became a large part of her life. Kay moved to the Twin Cities area in the later 1950’s to attend school.

On June 5, 1958, Kay was united in marriage with Dale Rieck in Wheaton, MN. The couple moved a few times until they decided to settle in Ortonville, MN. Together, Kay and Dale had three children: Kim, Brad, and Curt.

After school, Kay worked in many nursing homes including Traverse Care Center, Park Place, and Northridge Home. She was a hard worker and raised her three children while her husband was gone trucking during the week. Kay also worked hard to keep her home clean and tidy and took great pride in how it was kept.

In her free time, Kay loved spending time with her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She enjoyed watching her son race cars and watching her grandson play football. Kay took time off twice a year to go out on the road with her husband and in their younger days, they loved to go dancing to polka music. When they could no longer join in on the dancing, they still liked to go hear the music and visit with people.

Kay is survived by her children: Kim (Danny) Carlson of Big Stone City, SD; Brad (Diane) Rieck of Ortonville, MN; and Curt (Diana) Rieck of Burnsville, MN; grandchildren: Sara (Nolan) Fetters, Derek Rieck (fiancé, Becky Henslin), Savannah (Michael) Hughes, Eric Carlson (Chelsea Boeckman), Lateesha Rieck, and David Rieck (Randi Sanborn); great-grandchildren: Daunte, Brantley, Haylee, Ashlynn, Larkyn, Hunter, and Maelyn; and sisters: Sandy Rosenkranz and Jane (Kenny) Cole.

Preceding her in death are her husband, Dale in 2017; one son in infancy; great-granddaughter, Kynslee Hughes; her father, Dennis Wood; her mother, Carolyn Wood; her stepmother, Ella Tolzien; her sister, Joann Randall; and her parents-in-law, Harold and Lorraine Rieck.