Obituary of Alvina Dorothy Ries

DYERSVILLE, IOWA Alvina D. Ries, 92, of Dyersville, passed away at her residence on Tuesday, September 25, 2012. Friends may call at Kramer Funeral Home in Dyersville on Thursday, September 27, from 2:00 - 9:00 p.m. where a parish vigil service will be held at 4 p.m. Funeral services will be held at St. Francis Xavier Basilica on Friday, September 28, 2012, at 10:30 a.m. with Father Dennis Quint and Father Carl Ries presiding. Burial will be in St. Francis Xavier Cemetery in Dyersville. On June 27, 1920, in Bloomington, Wisconsin, Alvina was born to the late Joseph and Elizabeth (Crubel) Sabers. She attended school in New Vienna and worked as a hired hand for several families in the area until her marriage to Herbert N. Ries on January 2, 1940, in New Vienna. She and her husband lived in a few small towns until settling on a farm south of Greeley, Iowa, where they lived for 53 years until moving to Dyersville in 1997. Herbert preceded Alvina in death on September 25, 2006. Alvina is survived by eight children: Lou Ann Hutchinson of Georgetown, KY, Gerald (Betty) Ries of Earlville, Ethel Tholander of Norfolk, VA, Harold (Dianna) Ries of Earlville, Gladys (Dennis) Felton of Dyersville, Sharon (Bruce) Besler of Dyersville, Karon (Joe) DeMar of North Liberty and Jane (Kevin) Linebaugh of Broken Arrow, OK. Granny is also survived by 22 grandchildren, 51 great grandchildren, 8 great-great grandchildren, one brother, Laverne (Ida Rose) Sabers of Earlville, and one sister, Velma Frericks of Dyersville, five sisters-in-law: Loretta Brunsmann of Dyersville, Alma Brunsmann of Manchester, Berniece Gassman of Manchester, Esther Steffen of Edgewood, and Louise Ries of New Vienna. Alvina was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, Herbert on September 25, 2006, a son-in-law Eugene Rodney Hutchinson and one great grandchild Ian Joseph Felton, five sisters Abigail Krapfl, Mary (Gilbert, Verdon) Funke Gavin, Isabel (Joseph) Rubner, Olive (Leo) White, and Melania (Walter) Krapfl, three brothers, Lloyd Sabers, Clarence (Delores) Sabers and Alfred Sabers, one sister-in-law, Dorothy (Ray) Biermann, nine brothers-in-law, Vincent (Mercedes) Ries, Clarence Ries, Alphonse (Gertrude) Ries, Arthur Ries, Clete Brunsmann, Elmer Brunsmann, Elmer Frericks, Francis Gassman, and Arthur Steffen.