James A. Riesberg, age 56, of Maple River, Iowa, died early Saturday, December 19, 2009, at St. Anthony Regional Hospital in Carroll.
Mass of the Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10:30 A.M., Wednesday, December 23, 2009, at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church in Mt. Carmel. The Celebrant will be Father Joe Dillinger. Con-celebrant will be Father Leo Riesberg. Lector will be a son-in-law, Andy Behrens. Gift Bearers will be Sarah Stevens, Janelle Stevens, Kathy Johnson, and Tammy Rickers. Mass Servers will be Max Heithoff, Maddie Bauer, and Tori Bauer. Eucharistic Ministers will be Jenna Campbell and Tom Kollasch. Casket Bearers will be nephews, Andy Stevens, Nick Stevens, Nathan Riesberg, Jason Riesberg, Pat Riesberg, Chris Riesberg, Joe Wiederien, Gene Wiederien, Ron Wiederien, Tom Wiederien, and Mark Wiederien. Graveside Services will be held at 1:30 P.M. Wednesday at St. Francis Cemetery in Maple River.
Friends may call at the Sharp Funeral Home in Carroll after 3:30 P.M. Tuesday. A rosary will be prayed at 4 P.M. Tuesday by the Carroll Knights of Columbus. There will be a Christian wake service at 7 P.M. Tuesday by the Parish. In lieu of flowers memorials may be left at the funeral home or church for the American Cancer Society or the Kuemper Catholic Schools Foundation.
Mr. Riesberg was born on January 9, 1953, at Carroll, Iowa, the son of Andrew J. and Hilda B. (Sturm) Riesberg. He spent most of his lifetime in the Maple River community and attended St. Francis School and graduated from Kuemper High School in 1971. On September 25, 1976, he was married to Jean Stevens at Sacred Heart Church in Templeton. The couple made their home in Maple River. In his earlier years Jim was employed by the Farmland Foods Company in Carroll and since 1985 until the present day he has been employed in the transportation department at the Farner-Bocken Company in Carroll. He was a member of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Parish and long time member of the former St. Francis Parish at Maple River. He was also a member of the Carroll Knights of Columbus. Jim enjoyed his family, especially his grandson, and enjoyed his work and watching wrestling on television.
Survivors include his wife, Jean Riesberg of Maple River; his son, Jay Riesberg of Maple River; a daughter, Jenny Behrens and her husband Andy and their son Hayden of Minneapolis, Minn.; sisters, Sister Linda Riesberg F.S.P.A. of LaCrosse, Wisc., and Doris Wiederien and her husband Daryl of Glidden; his brothers, David Riesberg and his wife Linda of Lincoln, Nebr., and twin brother John Riesberg and his wife Marge of Carroll; and brother and sister-in-law, Dan and Pat Stevens of Carroll.
He was preceded in death by his parents; and by his father and mother-in-law, Don and Dorothy Stevens.