Lidia Marie Rieck

LIDIA MARIE RIECK, age 92 of New Hope, formerly of Waseca and New Richland, died on Thursday, January 28, 2021 at the Saint Therese Home in New Hope.

Lidia was born in Bologna, Italy on January 27, 1929. As a young woman she attended school there before taking on an important role as a caretaker in the many active bomb shelters around her community. She met her future husband, Jesse Rieck while he was stationed in Italy. Although they spent their early relationship speaking through an interpreter, each fell for the other and they were married in Italy on November 4, 1957. Upon Jesse’s honorable discharge from the military the pair moved back to the United States. Over their years together Lidia worked as a homemaker, at Land-O-Lakes in New Richland, at E.F. Johnson in Waseca, and at Itron in Waseca. Lidia was raised in the Catholic church and enjoyed her involvement in both area Catholic churches and the Lutheran Church in Otisco. She and her husband enjoyed their many friends at the Waseca Senior Citizen’s Center, and she enjoyed cooking, gardening, flowers, and caring for her many animals.

Lidia is survived by two sons, Greg (Patty) Rieck of Ramsey, and Jesse Rieck of Minneapolis; several grandchildren; numerous great-grandchildren; a half-sister, Rita, still living in Italy; and other cousins and relatives in Italy. She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband; a daughter, Louise America; and a grandson, Nathan America.

Funeral services will be held at 2:00PM on Tuesday, February 2, 2021 at the State Street Chapel of Dennis Funeral & Cremation Services in Waseca, with Fr. The Hoang officiating. Visitation will be held for one hour before the service at the funeral home on Tuesday.

Private family interment will take place at Ft. Snelling National Cemetery in Minneapolis.