Obituary of Unita Rieken

Graveside services for Unita Rieken will be held at Mason Cemetery, Arp, at 11:30 am, Monday, July 10, 2017 with Reverends Kaylea Fleming and Marvin Harman officiating. Arrangements are under direction of Cottle-Pearson Funeral Home, Overton.

 Unita Beaty Rieken, 95, of Arp, passed away to be with our Lord on July 6, 2017. Known as Babe to friends and “Granymaw” or “Maga” to her grandchildren and great-grandchildren, Unita was born on February 9, 1922 in Tell, to William Clifford Beaty and Lena Powell Beaty. She lived in the New Deal area until she graduated from high school. She attended Texas Tech University for two years prior to her marriage of 58 years to Ludwig “Jiggs” Rieken on December 27, 1941. Unita was a farm wife who raised two sons, Clifford and Gary, and worked at the Lubbock State School Canteen for many years. Unita and her husband moved to Arp to be near family and was living at home in Arp until a couple of weeks before her death. She passed away at Hospice of East Texas after a brief illness.  

Unita loved to travel and enjoyed playing card games and dominoes with her friends and family. She is a member of Arp First United Methodist Church, and formerly a long-time member of Redeemer Lutheran Church in Lubbock.

 Unita leaves behind those who adored her; son, Clifford and wife Judy, of Arp; son Gary and wife Margaret of Abernathy; grandchildren Rhonda, Rhett, Rowdy, Cheyenne Knowles, and Levi; eight great-grandchildren Merissa, Riley, Kylie Knowles, Jaylie Knowles, Thatcher Merritt, Henry, Gemma, and Tripp; as well as many friends and extended family in Arp and the Lubbock area.

 She was preceded in death by her husband Ludwig in 2000, two brothers and two sisters.

 Honorary pallbearers will be Rhett Rieken, Rowdy Rieken, Levi Rieken, Lance Knowles, Riley Rieken and Sammy Parker.  
 

 Visitation will be Sunday, July 9, from 4:00 to 6:00 pm, at the funeral home.

 If desired, memorials may be made to Arp First United Methodist, McMillan Memorial Library (Overton) or Hospice of East Texas.  
 

The family wishes to thank Shirley Williams for her love and support for Unita.