Date : 17 Sep 2020
Location : St. Marys Cemetery, Watertown, SD
Helen L. Rueschenberg, age 90 of Watertown, SD, passed away on Friday, September 11, 2020, at her home. She was the widow of LaVerne Rueschenberg.
Mass of Christian Burial will be at 11 a.m. on Thursday, September 17, 2020, at Holy Rosary Catholic Church in Kranzburg, SD. Fr. Ken Koster will be the celebrant. Music will be provided by Eileen Lindner as organist with Helen’s granddaughter, Erica Rorvik, as soloist and Neal Mack as song leader.
Honorary pallbearers will be Helen’s great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren. Pallbearers will be Helen’s grandkids: Michael Rueschenberg, Steven Rueschenberg, David Rorvik, Daniel Rorvik, Chris Evjen, Becky Nuttbrock, Erica Rorvik, Megan Zittel and Jacob Rueschenberg. The service will be on Facebook Live. The family is requested to meet at the church by 10:30 a.m. for a family prayer service.
Visitation will be on Wednesday at Holy Rosary Catholic Church from 4-6 p.m. with a Scripture Wake Service at 6 p.m. Visitation will continue prior to the service at the church on Thursday.
Burial will be at St. Mary’s Cemetery in Watertown.
Helen Richter was born on September 17, 1929, to Albert and Margaret (Eilen) Richter, at Kranzburg, SD. She received 10 years of education at Holy Rosary School in Kranzburg, then graduated from Goodwin High School in 1947. She then attended Mitchell Business College for one year. Prior to her marriage Helen was employed at Western Transportation in Watertown.
On June 9, 1951, Helen was united in marriage to LaVerne Rueschenberg at Holy Rosary Church. They were dairy farmers in rural Watertown until moving to Benet Place Independent Living in 2013. She was a stay-at-home mom to five children: Steven, Pamela, LouAnn, Susan and Patrick, and she worked on the family farm. After the children were grown, Helen worked as a bookkeeper/receptionist at D&D Electric and later at Codington County Highway Department, before retiring in 1994.
Helen was a life-long member of Holy Rosary Church in Kranzburg, the Altar Society, and previously served on the church’s finance council. She was also a volunteer with the Prairie Lakes Hospital Auxiliary and enjoyed the Goodwin-Bemis senior citizens as well as the Kranzburg card club. In addition to enjoying time spent with her family, Helen’s other hobbies and interests included reading and doing crossword puzzles. Many a needlework, crotchet, or knitted project ended up in the hands of family members. She moved into Stoneybrook Assisted Living in 2018.
Helen is survived by her daughters: Pam (Darnell) Rorvik-Albers of Flandreau, SD, Lou Ann (James) Clancy of Anaheim, CA, and Susan (Greg) Brandsrud of Watertown, SD; daughters-in-law, Susan Rueschenberg of Burkburnett, TX, and Juli Rueschenberg of Wagner, SD; nine grandchildren; 12 great-grandchildren; one great-great-grandchild; sisters-in-law, Bernadine Moorhouse of Sioux Falls, SD; Charlotte Rueschenberg of Birmingham, AL and Ramona Rueschenberg of Portland, OR, and a number of nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her husband, LaVerne; her sons, Steven and Patrick; her parents; her son-in-law, Andrew Rorvik; her brothers, Leonard and Al Richter; her sisters, Loretta, Sr. Dolorita (Evelyn), Lavina, Alma and Ethel; her great-grandaughter, Aurora; her great-grandson, Braxton; and one little angel.
Arrangements by Crawford-Osthus Funeral Chapel www.crawfordosthus.com
Waterloo Public Opinion - Sep 13, 2020
