Bernice Rewitzer Ricke

Bernice Ann Rewitzer Ricke, age 94, of Morgan, MN, passed away peacefully on Saturday, February 11, 2023 at Solaris Nursing Home in Merritt Island, FL .

Visitation will be held at Nelson-Hillestad Funeral home in Morgan, MN on Friday, February 17, 2023 from 4 to 7pm.   Mass of Christian burial will be held Saturday, February 18, 2023 at 10:30 a.m. at St. Michael’s Catholic church in Morgan, MN.  Visitation held at the church prior to mass from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. Burial service to follow at St. Michael’s Catholic Cemetery in Morgan. Luncheon held following graveside service at St. Michael’s Catholic church basement.

The Nelson-Hillestad Funeral and Cremation Service of Morgan and Redwood Fall are in charge of the arrangements. E-mail condolences may be sent via www.nelson-hillestad.com.

 Bernice was born March 19, 1928, at Loretto Hospital in New Ulm, MN to Louis and Agnes (Picker) Rewitzer. For the first nine years of her life she lived on a farm near Nicollet. Raised in a German speaking home she attended a country grammar school with her older sister Dolores where she learned to speak, read, and write English.  The family moved to a farm near Gaylord where she and her older sister Dolores and younger sister Catherine grew up. Bernice graduated from Gaylord High School in 1945 and went on to obtain a degree in education from the College of St. Benedict in 1949. She taught Business Education in Hancock, Elmore, Jordan, Canton, and Glencoe, MN.  In 1959 she was educated by the Baltimore, MD Public Health Service in a new field called Medical Records Technology.  She returned to MN and worked in Medical Records at many surrounding hospitals and nursing homes including Hutchinson, Redwood Falls, Springfield and Sleepy Eye. On July 25, 1964, she was united in marriage to Edward Ricke of Morgan at St. Michael's Catholic Church in Gaylord. Together they farmed and raised two daughters LeAnn and Linda. 

In 1980 she moved to Breckenridge, MN with her 2 daughters and headed up the Medical Records Technology program at the North Dakota State College of Science in Wahpeton, ND, until her retirement in 1986. She returned to Morgan, MN with her two daughters to retire, but continued to work as a substitute teacher, nursing assistant, and in the Del Monte canning factory.

 Bernice was always adventurous and enjoyed travel.  She joined family and friends on many cross country and transcontinental trips via land, air and sea.  She traveled to Hawaii, Alaska, Mexico City (Guadalupe), Europe, including Fatima, Portugal, the Caribbean, Jerusalem and across the U.S.

Bernice enjoyed volunteering her time to church and community events in Morgan. She was a person of strong Catholic faith.  She was devoted to her family and friends. She is survived by her daughter LeAnn Ricke and special friend Michael Penn of Cocoa, FL; Linda Dietz and her husband Kevin  of Glencoe, MN; grandchildren: Alexandra (Taylor) Swartout of Okinawa, Japan; Michael Dietz of Glencoe, MN and Liam Earle of Cocoa, FL; Sister: Catherine Sweere of Mankato, MN; nieces, nephews and cousins.  She is preceded in death by her parents, Louis and Agnes Rewitzer, spouse Edward Ricke and sister Dolores Sellner.

Blessed be her memory.