Clarence Rieger

Clarence Rieger, 98, Bismarck, passed away on August 8, 2023, at Missouri Slope Lutheran Care Center in Bismarck.

A funeral service will be held at 11:00 AM, Monday, August 14, at Faith Lutheran Church, 1402 E Ave C, Bismarck. Visitation will be held an hour before the service begins.

To view the service livestream, please click this link. > Faith Lutheran Church - Bismarck, ND | Bismarck ND | Facebook 

Clarence was born on Dec. 7, 1924 to Emanuel and Christine Rieger on their farm home 16 miles southwest of Wishek. He grew up on the family farm and attended and graduated from the Grade Country School after which he attended Wishek High School. After high school, he taught country grade school in two different school districts for six years, from 1945 to 1950. During his teaching years he met and married the love of his life, May Aipperspach on Nov. 28, 1946. To this union two children were born, Kathleen and Howard.

Clarence was active in the Grace Evangelical Reformed Church being Sunday School Supt. and teaching Sunday school, during the years of 1953 to 1967 that he lived in Wishek.

He worked for MDU in Bismarck during his early married life, but moved back to Wishek and farmed for several years before going to work for Victor Krein. He worked for Krein Co. for 11 years 1953-1964. During that time, he took up many training sessions in sheet metal fabrication, heating & air conditioning and refrigeration installation and servicing in the field. In 1964 Clarence went to work for the Wishek Nursing and Retirement home as a Maintenance Engineer.

In 1967, he moved to Bismarck and took the job as Maintenance Engineer at the Missouri Slope Lutheran Care Center. He led that position though the close of 1989. He and his wife became members of the Faith Lutheran Church in Bismarck in 1967 and he remained a member until his passing.

After retirement in 1990 he built himself a shop in the backyard of his home and did wood working as a hobby from 1990 to 2007. During his retirement years he enjoyed RVing in his motorhome to many camping sites and resorts, including traveling to many states’ tourists’ sites and functions, such as Disneyland, Sea World, Grand Ol’ Opry, Hawaii, camping resorts, state fairs and more.

Clarence is survived by his wife, May; daughter, Kathleen (Tom) Welder; son, Howard (Diane) Rieger; sister, Judy (Del) Boschee; and brother, Vernon Rieger; sister-in-law, Roberta (Ted) Vander Luis; grandchildren, Tom (Laurie) Welder Jr., Shawn (Tasha) Welder, Dana (Jess) Welder, Roddy (Elena) Rieger, Travis Rieger; great-grandchildren, Dawn Welder, Tyler Welder, Taylor Welder, Janessa Welder, Layne Welder, Keelie Welder, and Maximus Rieger; and great-great-grandchildren, Scarlett Welder, Kenzie Welder, Mason Parker-step great-great-grandson, and Isabel Parker, step great-great granddaughter.

He was preceded in death by his parents; foster sister, Vermona and sister-in-law, Esther Rieger.