Henry H. Riske

Henry H. Riske, a lifelong resident of Grafton, N.D., passed away at Elim Care in Fargo February 15, 2013. Henry was born September 4, 1920 in rural Warsaw, N.D. the first child of Martin H. and Frances V. (nee Stoltman) Riske. He attended grade school in Warsaw and graduated from high school in Minto, N.D. Henry worked on the family farm until he entered the Army Air Force. During the war he was a mechanic on Lockheed's P-38 Lightening. He went to mechanic school in Santa Monica, California before being deployed to China and the Far East. He won his honorable discharge and returned home to marry his sweetheart Leona M. Misialek, daughter of John and Delphina Misialek. For most of his life, he worked for Gorder & Torgeson Implement in Grafton, the John Deere dealer. He began as a mechanic, but in 1956 he moved to sales until he retired in 1985. Today the dealership is called True North Equipment. Henry often said he regarded his customers as his friends. He worked hard to show them the farm equipment that would serve their needs most efficiently. During harvest, he made himself available for breakdowns, often leaving home during a meal with his trusty tool box. Henry served several years in the North Dakota National Guard. He was active at St. John's Catholic Church. His proudest accomplishment was the committee he served upon that led to the building of a brand new church building in the Sixties. He belonged to the Knights of Columbus. Henry also served in various offices of the American Legion, including its Commander. He attended many of the state conventions over the years. He served memorial services with his good friends in the Legion for many years. After retiring, Henry worked for Kamrowski Funeral Home, which became the Kamrowski-Henriksen Funeral Home. Today it is called the Tollefson Funeral Home. Henry enjoyed his work at the funeral home because he knew so many of the people. Families of the deceased loved the compassionate listening Henry offered them. Henry's greatest passion was gardening. He loved to pour through the various seed catalogs that would come to his mailbox in the middle of winter. Nearly every year he would try some new variety to see how it turned out. When he got home from work during the summer, he always stopped at his garden first. He'd often bring freshly picked produce into the house with him. Dancing was another passion. Henry and Leona made many of their closest friendships with fellow dancers. They would travel the countryside to dance to their favorite bands. They would often come home to host a late lunch for their friends after a night of dancing. In 1952, they got a chance to dance on the Lawrence Welk Show. After retiring, Henry and Leona went fishing, mostly at the Red River or its tributaries. He resumed his love for fishing after taking his son Marty on most summer Sundays in the early years. Henry was a solid, loyal husband, father, grandfather and friend who set out to be gentle and understanding. All enjoyed his gentle nature, his sense of humor and his quick intelligence, even to the end. Survivors include his wife of 66 years, Leona M. Riske; son Martin "Marty"(Anne) Riske of Fargo and daughter Kathryn "Kathy" (George) Perrin of Mandan; grandson Shawn Perrin, Scottsdale, AZ; grandson John M. (Blythe) Riske, Oakland, CA; granddaughter Kelly D. Riske, Fargo; great grandson, August B. Riske, Oakland, Ca; his brother Stephen (Leonardo) Riske, Los Angeles, CA.,; and his sister Regina "Reggie" (Odell) Stadstad, Manvel. Henry was preceded in death by his parents; his brother Johnny Riske and his sister Irene (Richard) Teske. Mass of Christian Burial will be Saturday, February 23, 2013 at 11:00 A.M. at St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church. Visitation will be Friday from 5-7 PM with a prayer service at 7:00 PM at the Tollefson Funeral Home of Grafton. Friends may also call at the church on Saturday for one hour prior to the service. Interment will be at St. Stanislaus Catholic Cemetery, Warsaw, ND.