Marilyn J. Rieke

Marilyn (Baumfalk) Rieke went home May 13th, 2023, at the age of 86.  She was born in Beatrice, Nebraska, on February 20, 1937. She enjoyed growing up with her five cherished siblings and her parents Mary (Vliet) and Albert Baumfalk and loved to share memories of those fun times with her loving family.

She married Duane Rieke on December 22, 1957, and they built a strong family who moved about between different towns in Oklahoma, Nebraska, and Kansas.  She loved helping people and was a teacher in rural Gage County, NE.  After being a stay-at-home-mom, she became an LPN and was a nurse in Hoxie, Belleville, and Manhattan, KS and Beatrice, NE.

A gifted quilter and friend to all, she loved seeing the flowers bloom in the springtime.  Both she and Duane were avid readers and Marilyn shared the love of reading to her grandchildren, taking them to the library for the young children’s reading time.  Marilyn was a woman of deep faith and was very active in her church (American Lutheran Church). She also was active in the greater community.  She volunteered at church and was an active volunteer at the Belleville Library. She volunteered on the Rec Bus taking children to the library. Marilyn was awarded Volunteer of the Year for the Belleville Library.

She loved to watch the Wildcats, and Royals. She was also a doting and proud grandma.  Her favorite job was enjoying watching her grandkids participate in various sporting, artistic, and academic endeavors. 

Marilyn was preceded in death by her husband Duane, parents Mary and Albert Baumfalk, sister Joyce Gross, brother-in-law Ed Gross, and brother-in-law Joe Colombo. She leaves behind four children, Lora Rieke of Belleville, Ann (Chad) Leabo of Kansas City, MO, Dan (Kate) Rieke of Lenexa, KS, and Daryl (Kay) Rieke of Belleville. She also leaves behind six beloved grandchildren, Grace, Daniel, Sarah, Sophia, Jack, and Olivia, as well as treasured siblings, Janet Colombo of Bozeman, MT, Mike (Marsha) Baumfalk of Beatrice, Pat (Deb) Baumfalk of Lincoln, Liz (Bruce) Daubendiek of Pickrell, NE and many beloved nieces and nephews across the nation.

Visitation will be held Tuesday, May 30th, 2023, from Noon to 7 p.m. at Tibbetts-Fischer Funeral Home, Belleville, KS.  The family will receive well-wishers from 5 to 7 p.m. Funeral services will be at 10 a.m., Wednesday, May 31^st, at American Lutheran Church in Belleville, with internment at the Chester Cemetery in Chester, NE.  Lunch will be at the church following the internment.

Donations can be made in her memory to the Belleville, Kansas Public Library or American Lutheran Church in Belleville, and may be sent in care of the funeral home.

Tibbetts-Fischer Funeral Home is assisting the Rieke family with these arrangements, www.tibbettsfischerfuneralhome.com