William "Bill" George Ries

William "Bill" Ries, age 86, of Pocahontas, passed away on Monday, July 15, 2024, at the Pocahontas Community Hospital in Pocahontas, Iowa.

William George Ries was born on April 21, 1938, in Pocahontas, Iowa. He was the son of Sebastian and Amelia (Hronek) Ries. He graduated from Sacred Heart Catholic High School in 1956. He was drafted in the U.S. Army where he served from 1961 – 1963. On November 19, 1966, Bill was united in marriage to Mary Ann Herman at St. Columbkille Catholic Church in Varina. The couple settled on the family farm near Pocahontas where they farmed and raised their family. In addition to crop farming, Bill fed cattle and feeder pigs.

Bill was a member of the Resurrection Catholic Church and Catholic Order of Foresters. He was also a member of the Iowa Great Lakes Fishing Club and the Palmer Trap Shooting Club. He especially enjoyed hunting, fishing and trap shooting. He also enjoyed following the Iowa Hawkeyes, L.A. Dodgers and Minnesota Twins.

Survivors include his wife, Mary Ann of Pocahontas; children, Tom (Diane) Ries of Pocahontas, Carol (Dan) Heissel of Moville and Dave (Olivia) Ries of Lake Preston, S.D., daughter-in-law, Cathy Ries of Salem, S.D., ten grandchildren, two great-grandchildren and sisters, Janet Schnabel of St. Cloud, MN and Claire Amelia of Santa Rosa, CA.  Bill was preceded in death by his parents; son, Richard Ries; sister, Mary Ann Young and brothers, Fr. Don and Fr. Richard.