Donald S. Riemer

Donald S. Riemer, 88 of Madison, passed away on Friday, July 7, 2023, at the Wm. S. Middleton Memorial Veterans Hospital of Madison.

Donald was born on April 9, 1935, in Gaylord, MN. His parents, Gottlieb and Augusta (Kuttsiet) Riemer, had each lost a spouse and came to their union with 7 children each, then had three more together.  Donald was the youngest of the 17 total children.  He attended high school in Chicago, IL, and graduated from Schurz High in 1953.  He served his country in the US Army during the Korean War and married Esther Larson on June 11, 1960, in Richmond, IL.  The couple had 6 children and recently celebrated 63 years of marriage.  Donald was a skilled carpenter, working for numerous companies, before starting his own business. 

The words of Don’s family:

-63 years of being together.  63 years of Don’s wittiness and his happy ways.  63 years of him looking out for me and always trying to please me.  That’s Don. 

-Dad delighted in music, especially hymns and classical music.  More importantly, he delighted in his children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren and their viewpoint and experience of the world.  His squinty smile was readily available for anyone whether they were strangers, family, or friends.   You never knew what would come out of his mouth, but you always knew it would be joyfully mischievous and worth hearing (and maybe writing down for a future laugh!).    He couldn’t be silent even if he was with a stranger and didn’t really know what to say.  Something would come to him, however awkward it may be. 

-Dad loved fishing, hunting, golf, and cheering for his Chicago teams, Cubs, Bears, and Bulls. He was witty, funny, and well-liked by virtually everyone.  A hard worker that was always willing to help and contribute.  Most of all, a loving father that always supported his family.  He always put his wife and family ahead of himself. 

-I admired that he overcame so much in his life to have a beautiful life, a beautiful marriage, a beautiful family and a beautiful legacy.  To do all that having been an orphan is something that inspires me. 

-He taught us to work hard, but also to value family, fun, rest, games, etc.  He fostered creativity, making things, and I always felt encouraged in the area of imagination.  There was always a feeling with Dad that we can figure it out and it will be possible.  I also love his plays on words and changing a few letters in words.  I still call them “garge sales” or “garbage sales,” and I find myself saying, “lovely, lovely, lovely,” in that dad-voice.  He loved us and provided for us well and even when we really wanted something that was maybe beyond the budget at the time, he was creative to find a way to make it, or do an alternative—which was usually way better anyway!

-Dad had a very simple faith in Jesus.  He knew he was a sinner and there were things from his past he wished he could have done better.  But he knew God was merciful and gracious through faith in Jesus’ death on the cross and His resurrection.  One of the last things he said with a big smile and twinkle in his eye was that his sins were forgiven, “every single one of them!”  Dad was such a hard worker throughout his entire life.  Even though he could barely get around or lift anything in his last years, he still thought he could.  He would daily ask, “Can I carry that for you?” or “I can build that for you.”  He also always wanted to pay for everything.  Dad rarely complained about anything.  He remained cheerful, positive, and full of wit and good humor right to the end.  He made doctors and nurses laugh regularly.  He loved Mom so well and amazingly his love for her grew even sweeter and stronger in his last years, offering her kisses throughout the day to help her feel better.  He was always there for us and our special events never wanting to miss our games, our performances, and other special days.  He was the loudest cheerleader at our games and his joy and laughter was infectious.

-Daddy was a simple man who was set apart by his extraordinary wit, humor and a never ending supply of puns — for better or worse). He brought JOY wherever he went and to whomever he met in those places. Even up until the end he brought laughter to the nurses at the VA and to all his loved ones who visited him there.  In short… Daddy was a DELIGHT to be around. Every room was more fun with him in it — and every meal tasted better with him at the table. (Even when I prepared him the simplest of meals, he ate it with such enthusiasm and joy that it made it seem really special. Listening to Dad brag about the shrimp from the cheap Chinese takeout from around the corner, one would think that he was eating at a king’s palace! Without ever trying, Daddy would show me the extra-ordinary in the simple; the magic in the mundane. It was so clear to me that to him life was a gift — and he enjoyed his gift to the full!! 

What I admire most about Daddy is that he kept smiling and joking despite facing much sadness and hardship in his younger years.  Even when his health declined and his body weakened in his last years, his spirit did not shrink back — but fought every new trial with a new joke and kept the sparkle in his eyes!  Also… what made Daddy so refreshing to be around is that you would never have to guess what was on his mind — he’d always speak it! Ha! 

I am so thankful that I got to watch Dad grow deeper in his faith and trust in Jesus during his last years —  witnessing him grow and listening to the way he prayed towards the end was a huge encouragement to my own faith. 

Daddy also loved to work hard and he loved to serve others. It was a big frustration to him at the end, when his body wouldn’t cooperate anymore with what he wanted it to do; when he wanted to help us around the house and the yard… but he would find ways.. one of the last things I saw him do was wash the dishes for Mom by hand when she was feeling too weak. 

(Besides Mom and the rest of his family, the two things that Daddy was probably most enthusiastic about in life were baseball, music and… dessert of course!) 

-He wasn’t ashamed to be who he was and make jokes in almost any situation, no matter how bad or hilarious they were, he taught us to not be ashamed of who we are.

-Dad was always ready to help us learn something, change a tire, oil, “polish” a chrome bumper with steel wool, wash a car correctly, build a cabin, garage, house addition, shingle a roof.  He was always open to try new foods, no matter how disgusting it smelled or looked.  He was always in a hurry to get places—probably because the drive was boring compared to what we were going to do.  Even as he had difficulty getting around, he still had the desire to go down a water slide, mow the lawn, and even trying to convince Doug, about a month before he passed, about the electric shovel he wanted for the deck so he could help Noah.  The Don/Dad drive to do it will never be forgotten!

-Dad was a great carpenter who was always ready to help, whether it was the church or friends or family.  I love that Dad got to see the Cubs win the World Series, even though he complained often that they were going to lose after blowing the lead in Game 7.  He responded to Greg’s celebration phone call with, “Never a doubt!”

The family hopes that these shared testimonies of their father’s character and attributes points you to Jesus and helps you to know Don a little better.

He is survived by: his wife Esther Riemer of Madison; children Leah (Doug) Wells of Elkhorn, Gregory (Sarah) Riemer of Bonduel, Eric (Angela) Riemer of Waukesha, Heidi (Steve) Rickard of Clinton Township, MI, Noah (Michaela) Riemer of Madison, and Beth (Daniel) Spransy of Waterloo; 18 grandchildren Carissa (Andy) Arciszewski, Vanessa (Brad) Pellegrini, Aaron Wells, Rebecca (Spencer) Morse, Emily Wells, Jordan Riemer, Garret Riemer, Seth (Kiana) Rickard, Grace (Anthony) Sheperd, Benjamin (Marlee) Wells, Jessica Rickard, Anja Riemer, Esther Spransy, Virginia Spransy, Ingrid Spransy, Magnus Spransy, Simone Spransy, Dyllen Kubinski, 11 great-grandchildren Olivia, Isaac, Theo, Mylo, Brendan, Asher, Magnolia, Paisley, Juliet, Maisie, Jude; siblings Rosalie Riemer of Chicago, IL, William (Ann) Riemer of Algonquin, IL, Ruth (Calvin) Shucha of Woodruff, Erna Baker of Huntington Beach, CA, and Fred Riemer of Gresham, OR.  He is also survived by a large number of nieces, nephews, other family members, and friends.

Donald is preceded in death by his parents, granddaughters Jenny Wells (in infancy) and Erika Spransy (2023), and 11 siblings Johannes Riemer, Gottlieb Riemer, David Riemer, Alexander Riemer, Marie Riemer, Dorothy Michehl, Robert Laschinski, Leah Teufert, John Laschinski, Adeline Zeiger, Harold Laschinski.

A celebration of Donald’s life will be held from 6pm-7pm on Tuesday, August 8, 2023, at Doxa Church of Madison, with Pastor Rob Warren presiding.  Visitation will be on Tuesday from 5pm-6pm until the time of service at the church.

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