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There are four seasons. There are seasons in our life also.
Our life bloomed when we finally were successful, after several years, in conceiving. We conceived our first child, a son, in the springtime. He was born just before Christmas. We named him Paul, after the apostle Paul.
Paul was full of energy. So much so that one time when an infant, he pushed himself out of my arms onto the floor. Luckily he was not harmed, though it certainly worried us at first.
A little less than two years later his sister was born in the autumn, in early November.
She was an angle! We named her Deanna after the goddess Diane and her aunt Jeanne.
She, as well as Paul, was extremely intelligent, taking after their mother who was in the genius class.
They both learned fast and were talented in many things. Paul in music, languages, sciences, and math, Deanna in art, language, and dance.
Deanna wrote her first book (not published) at the age of two, complete with drawings and words.
Paul took up the trumpet at age 7 because it had few parts and looked simple to play. He was playing at Easter services at our church at age 8.
LIFE IN THE ORIENT
During their formative years we lived in Asia. Paul was old enough when we returned to the states five years later that life with the poor had made a lasting impression on him. As a result, he has dedicated his life to the poor and disadvantaged.
Deanna remembers less of her time abroad and rapidly assimilated into school society upon return. Her time in her mother's pre-school in Dacca, East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) prepared her for school in th states.
RETURN TO THE STATES
Both Paul and Deanna were excellent students.
They were fortunate to start school in the states in one of the best school districts in the USA - the Waban, Massachusetts School District. The parents were heavily involved and dictated the curriculum.
They had an extremely strong music and arts, including theatre, program as well as excellent basic grammar, math, science, and social studies.
Paul loved acting and was fortunate to be in lead parts in several Gilbert and Sullivan productions.
After ten years away from their parents, and children's grandparents,
Joenne and George decided it was time to return home to the San Francisco Bay Area so that the grandparents would have the opporunity to bond with their grandchildren. Unfortunately, the grandparents did no take advantage of the opportunity.
Paul graduated with honors from the University of California at Berkeley where he majored in civil engineering and was active in the band.
Deanna graduated with honors from the University of Califiornia at Santa Cruz where she honored her parents by becoming the first and only Phi Beta Kappa in the Riek and Cannon/Overcashier families.
THE FAMILY GROWS
Deanna was the first to marry and bless her parents with three brilliant grandchildren. She married Thomas (Tom) who is presently a school administrator. Prior to starting her family, Deanna was an assistant librarian in the West Linn Public Library.
Deanna home-schooled all three children.
Cole is the eldest. He is accomplished in science, kung fu, piano, and guitar.
West is second. He is accomplished art, science, kung fu, piano, and dance.
Faith is accomplished in dance and piano. She began playiing piano at the age of two by listening to her brothers. At three she was composing her own music.
LIFE WITH PAUL
Paul tried civil engineering but found that his heart was not in it. He had a passion for helping thepoor and particularly the Spanish speaking poor.
He studied Spanish in Junior High and continued to master the subject in High School. He completeley immersed himself in the language and culture when an exchange student to Paraguay.
He worked as an facilities engineer in Guenavaca, Mexico, and eventually accepted an invitation from the Bishop of Tehuentepec in the State of Oaxaca, Mexico, to assist him handle petitions from the poor. His duties brought him to the regional prison. He observed that the inmates were being ignored by the church. He felt called to minister to the inmates.
After several years assisting the Bishop he started a ministry to the inmates who had many needs and were largely natives who spoke Spanish as their second language.
A non-profit foundation, The Tequio Foundation, was established to support ministry to poor Spanish speaking peoples and took on the role of supporting Paul's ministry since he had no institutional financial support and could not grow the ministry without financial support.
Soon after starting the ministry he met, courted, and married Aurelia Sanchez who was at the time an adminstrator of natural medicines in the local clinic. She brought that skill to the prisoners.
Life with the Senior Rieks
In 1998 George retired from the engineering firm to which he dedicated more than 36 years of his professional career.
He promptly opened his own consulting business and thern under the guidance of a dear friend and felloow church member incorporated as Creativity Enterprises, Inc., an Oregon Chapter S corporation.
His clients were engineerring firms and public agencies in many states throughout the continental USA as well as Canada. They called him whenever they has the need of a problem solving workshop and team of experts to solve the problem using value engineering methodology.
In 2005, upon reaching 70, he retired. Shortly thereafter Joenne was diagnosed with cancer. George and Joenne battled the disease with ther support of a large medical staff and the prayers of family members and many friends throughout the USA and Canada. George dedicated his life to Joenne's care. In early 2009 Joenne's strength was n ot sufficient to help George in his care of her. He reluctantly gave up his primary role and Joenne was moved from home with the aid of the local fire department to a full time care facility.
After m ore than three months of frustration at the poor care she was receiving, George was successful in getting Joenne placed in a loving adult foster care home in a neighboring community.
She was cared for by a very loving and capable caregiver. Soon after the transfer the routine scans revealed that the cancer had spread from Joenne's brain tumor to her liver.
At this point Joenne made the decision to terminate all treatment. She was immediately placed in hospice care where she was made comfortable.
On March 29 Joenne and George celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary. The celebration.included the exchange of vows and a party followed. Although Joenne had trouble sitting up and staying awake for more than one or two hours at a time, she gathered her strength for the occassion. She was dressed in a beautiful flowing, colorful gown that we had acquired in the orient. She was all smiles and full of life for the occassion. The many guests from the communit, our congregation, and from states as far as Maine were amazed at Joenne';s radiance and energy and beautifu smile and words of wisdom and love. None knew that this was joenne's good bye party. Not even George knew that the end was so close. Joenne was up and full of life for a full seven hours before she was returned to bed.
She was exhuasted!
The days that followed revealed her rapidly deteriorating health. It was obvious to her family that the end was near. Joenne hung on long enough to give each friend and family member time to say good bye and to give her permission to leave this world to return to her creator. One week later was her 71st birthday. She was so week that she was uable to open her greeting cards and strugglked to saty awake a fewe minutes at a time. Paul and Deanna took turns in staying with her a night so that george could sleep, eat and bath.
At a little after 1:00 am on April 6, 2009, one hour after her birthday, Joenne left this world knowing that she was loved and treasured by her family and frineds.
A Celebration of Life service crafted by her pastor, John Reutter-Harrah of Prince of life Lutheran Church, with input from her family, was held the following Saturday. The church was overflowing with friends and the many whose lives were touched by Joenne who ministered to many.
The stories that were shared were stories of love and life changing expereinces by those who were changed by her presence, care, concern and love. It was a wonderful time of sharing.
Life After Joenne's Departure
George's first task was to give Joenne's clothes to those who were in need and to give family members an opportunity to claim items that would remind them of Joenne.
The second task was to move from their apartment to to the home that Joenne and George has purchased.
The third task was to construct a memortial garden dedicated to Joenne in the back yard of the new home. It was backbreaking work that was very therapeutic for George and helped him work through his grief. He was helped by a member his church, a member of their previous congregation, and a homeless family that needed work.
As Fall approached George decided that he needed to be way from his home for the winter and needed new surrounding s to help himn heal and begin a new life. That decision took him to Green Valley, AZ.
One of the things that George did which proved to be very important and life changing was to take active steps to re-connect with classmates, long neglected friends, and previous professional associates. That effort led him to high school classmates, one of which was a lady that he had taken to the prom in 1953. Life has not been the same since that re-connection.
George has found a wonderful woman who makes him laugh and feel like a kid again. George is in love.. His life now revolves around the times he can talk with and spend time with his love.
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