Odilia A. Riestenberg

Odilia Riestenberg passed away on December 25, 2022 at a family home in Perham, MN under the care of family and hospice.

Odilia Alice (Guck) Riestenberg was born on February 12, 1935 to George and Clara (Ledermann) Guck, on the family farm near Perham. She was baptized and confirmed at St Joseph Catholic Church near Perham. 

Odilia attended St. Joseph School for eight years, where she and her siblings walked every day. She accompanied her school program on piano while in the fourth grade and went on to play organ for the church choir at St. Joe.

In 1953, Odilia graduated from Perham High School, where she was an active member in the marching band playing the bell lyre, as well as partaking in choir, and GAA (girls athletic association), which was intramural sports for girls.

After high school, she worked at the Perham Creamery as a bookkeeper for seven years. She was co-owner of the Tastee Freez in Perham from 1957-1959.

Odilia married Jack Riestenberg on June 13, 1959, at St. Joseph Catholic Church. They rented their first farm west of Perham for two years and then purchased a farm northwest of Fergus Falls, MN. They spent the next 27 years farming and raising their five children. She was an active member of the local homemaker’s group, where great recipes and ideas were shared. She was also 4-H club leader and helped her children with all of their projects.

Odilia was an active member of St. Elizabeth Christian Mothers and participated in many church activities including teaching Catechism and leading the religious education program for many years. She and Jack played a big role in helping to start the St. Elizabeth annual church festival called the “Pork Out” where she shared her gardening and cooking talents.

In 1988, they moved to a home west of Elizabeth, MN where Odilia used her gardening talents to be a flower farmer for a local co-op for three years. She spent many hours tending to her flowers and vegetable gardens to which she was very proficient in making just about anything grow.

She loved to go sunny fishing, cook wonderful meals, and also sewed many clothes for herself and her family.

She was a woman of deep faith and devotion to her church and was quick to pull out a rosary for any car ride short or long. Her greatest love was her family. Especially in her last days, she would quickly smile when any grandchild or great-grandchild was in her presence. She loved being a mom, grandmother, and great-grandmother and loved her family deeply.

Odilia moved to Perham in 2016 where she resided at Briarwood before moving to Perham Living.

She is survived by her children: Mark (Annette) Riestenberg of Perham, Bill (Kristi) Riestenberg of Fergus Falls, Teresa (Joe) Ingebrand of Perham, Jerry (Allison) Riestenberg of Plymouth, and Jane (Randy) Kvalheim of Otsego, MN; 18 grandchildren: Joseph, Erica, Jennifer, Andrew, Mary, Allison, Emily, Laura, Kayla, Beth, Dan, Annie, Maggie, Garrett, Claire, Nick, Nate and Emma; 19 great-granchildren; two brothers: Lambert Guck of Wyoming and Richard (Sue) Guck of Missouri; and sisters-in-law Sharon Guck and MaryAnn Guck.

She was preceded in death by her parents; husband Jack; brothers Lawrence, Hank, Paul, and Raymond Guck; sisters Elizabeth Laughlin and Bernice Laughlin; brother-in-law Art Riestenberg; and sisters-in-law Dolores Riestenberg and Mary Tacito.

Visitation will be 4:00-7:00 p.m. with a Rosary at 6:30 and Parish Prayers at 7:00 on Wednesday, December 28 at Schoeneberger Funeral & Cremation Service in Perham. Visitation will resume beginning at 10:00 a.m. followed by the Funeral Mass at 11:00 on Thursday, December 29 at Saint Elizabeth Catholic Church in Elizabeth, MN. Burial will be in Saint Elizabeth Catholic Church Cemetery.

Schoeneberger Funeral & Cremation Service, Perham, MN (218) 346-5175 www.schoenebergerfh.com