Mitchell M. "Mitch" Rieken

Mitchell M. Rieken Mitchell was born in Renova, Minnesota on May 5, 1931, one of fourteen children to Kate (nee Weibrand) and Mike Rieken. He grew up in the same town as Audrey DeSart and they attended Elkton High School together. Mitchel was older than Audrey and they were married on July 19, 1952, after she graduated from high school. Following graduation, Audrey got a job in the Twin Cities and Mitchell enlisted in the United States Army. He served overseas in Germany for two years while Audrey worked for St. John’s Hospital. Upon his return, Mitchell began working at Ford Motor Company and they made their home on the East Side of St. Paul. They began attending Mounds Park United Methodist Church and have been parishioners for over 50 years. They lived in a very close knit neighborhood and they often had card parties with the neighbors. Mitchell kept the grass and flowers in the yard in pristine condition. In their early years, Mitchell and Audrey loved to dance and they were very good at it. When he wasn’t working or spending time with his family, Mitchell enjoyed hunting, fishing, bowling, and golfing. He would take the boys on a yearly trip up to Canada. Mitchell is a huge sports fan and loves the Gophers, Twins, and Vikings. He and Audrey were able to go to the new Target Field to watch the Twins play live. They also had a group of five other couples that they would travel all over with and take cruises with. In 1986, Mitchell retired from the Quality Control Department at Ford Motor Company and just a year later in 1987, Audrey retired from St. John’s Hospital from within their Nursing Department. They became snowbirds and bought a house in Mesa, Arizona for their winters away. The realized they missed the social aspect of neighbors so they later sold the home and moved to a mobile home community. After retiring, they began working at an entertainment company that hosted casino parties for corporations. Throughout his life, it was very evident that nothing was more important to Mitch than his family. His children were the center of his world and he was extremely proud of them and their children as well. Mitch is preceded in death by his parents; his two infant daughters, Mary and Michelle; his 9 brothers; and his 4 sisters. He is survived by his wife of 65 years, Audrey Rieken; his three children, Scott (Jill) Rieken of Edina, Todd (Laurie) Rieken of Cedar/Oak Grove, and Melissa (Mike) Dyrdahl of Cambridge; his grandchildren, Ben (Jill), Corey (Abbey), Amanda (Mike), Emily, Josh (Jo), Nichole (Dave), Hailey, Taylor, and Riley; his great-grandchildren, Trenton, Sophia, Mitchell, Cole, Jack, Cash, Vada, and Charlotte; and many other relatives and friends. There will be a gathering on Monday, January 29, 2018 from 9:30AM until the service at 11:00AM at Mounds Park United Methodist Church, 1049 Euclid Street, St. Paul. Those joining are invited to stay for a luncheon after the service. There will be military honors at Fort Snelling National Cemetery in Minneapolis at 2:00PM. A very special thank you to the staff of Allina Hospice for their exceptional care of Mitch and to Mary for opening her home to everyone during his last few days. Memorials are appreciated to the honor guard at Fort Snelling National Cemetery.