Raymond G. Riedberger

A memorial service for former Hawley resident, Raymond George Riedberger, will be held at 11 AM on Saturday, September 8, 2007, in Hawley Lutheran Church, Hawley, MN. He died on August 10, 2007, in McMinnville, OR, at the age of 85. The seventh of nine children, Raymond was born to Leonard and Laura Riedberger on November 7, 1921, in Hawley. Growing up, he enjoyed fishing and hunting with friends and his five brothers. His brother, Bill, gave him the nickname of "Fatso" after his favorite cartoon character in the Sunday comics. He played high school sports and graduated from Hawley High School in 1939. After high school he and friend Albert Wicker, moved to Portland, OR, where Raymond worked for the Union Pacific Railroad. A veteran of World War II, he joined the U. S. Army in 1942. As a soldier in the 3rd Infantry Regiment, he served in the Aleutian Islands and the European theater. He was a member of the American Legion for more than 60 years. On June 9, 1944, while in Hawley on military leave, he married his high school sweetheart, Jacqueline MacDonald. Following his Army discharge in 1945, the couple lived for a short time in Fargo, ND, where Raymond worked for Cass Clay Creamery. They returned to Hawley, and he completed an apprenticeship in meat cutting. He began working for Peterson Bros. and managed the store's meat department until 1960, when he took over the Hawley creamery milk delivery route from his brother, Forrest. A 20-year member of the Hawley Volunteer Fire Dept., he served as a fire chief and was a pitcher for the Department's slow pitch softball team. He was an active member of the Hawley Lutheran Church and a fan of Hawley Nugget sports teams, especially the 1959 basketball team which went to the State Tournament. His nephew, Richard Riedberger, played on the "Golden" Nugget team. He enjoyed gardening, golfing, and bowling, but his favorite pastimes were hunting and fishing with friends and family. His wife, Jackie, died in 1965. He married Mildred Dueis on January 13, 1967, and the couple moved to Portland, and then to Oregon City, where he worked for 17 years as a meat market manager for Tradewell grocery. In 1984, they retired to Sportman's Park, in the foothills of Oregon's Cascade Mountains. Each year he organized a Labor Day barbecue for 350 people to help finance the retirement park's projects. He most enjoyed summer visits from his grandchildren, Matt and Jenny, and taught them how to catch frogs, bait a fishing hook, and tend a garden. He was an avid sports fan, and despite being away from Minnesota for 40 years, he never wavered in his loyalty to the Minnesota Twins or Vikings. He is survived by his wife, Mildred, Lincoln City, OR; daughter, January, and son-in-law, Gary Killpack, Lincoln City; grandson, Matthew Killpack, Dillingham, AK; granddaughter, Jennifer Killpack, Ashland OR; sister, Evelyn Knutson, Pelican Rapids; brother, Ron, and sister-in-law, Mary Riedberger, Vista, CA; sisters-in-law, Grace Riedberger, Detroit Lakes, and Sharon Riedberger, Los Alamitos, CA; and several nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his first wife; his parents; four brothers, Everett, Vernon, Forrest, and Warren; two sisters, Lenore Piper, and Viola Steckroat; and one nephew, Monte Riedberger.