Claudette Pearl Riekels

Claudette Pearl (Marden) Riekels, 78, of St. Joseph, passed away Monday, November 21, 2016 at her home. A Celebration of Life Service will be held at 2:00 P.M. Saturday, November 26, 2016 at Stevensville United Methodist Church, 5506 Ridge Rd., Stevensville, with Rev. David Hills officiating.  Private burial at Riverview Cemetery will precede the service.  Friends may visit with the family from 5:00 until 8:00 P.M. Friday at Starks & Menchinger Chapel, 2650 Niles Rd., St. Joseph, and from 1:00 until 2:00 P.M. Saturday at the Church.  In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Children’s Department of the Berrien Springs Community Library.  Those wishing to sign Claudette’s Memory Book online may do so at www.starks-menchinger.com. Claudette was born March 18, 1938 in Mayville, Michigan to Dr. Earl & Marian (Smith) Marden. She graduated from Saginaw High School in 1956 and from the University of Michigan in 1960.  On June 19, 1965, she married William Riekels in Ann Arbor, Michigan.  Claudette was a teacher for several years at Lakeshore Middle School in Stevensville before gaining employment with the Benton Harbor Public Library as librarian and as the driver and librarian of the Bookmobile.  She ended her career as the children’s librarian at the Berrien Springs Community Library.  Claudette was a member of Stevensville United Methodist Church where she was active in Sisters in Faith and as a volunteer for Vacation Bible School. She was a member of the St. Joseph/Lincoln Senior Center and a regular at St. Joseph McDonald’s for the Seniors Breakfast Club.  In her free time Claudette enjoyed reading.  She also loved her grandchildren and pursued time with them doing anything and everything to be in their lives.  While they lived in the area, she never missed an event and rarely went a day without seeing them.  Since they moved to Wisconsin, she endured hours of travel to see them nearly every month. Claudette is survived by her husband William; her children—Pamela (Timothy) Knezic of Wausau, WI & John Riekels of San Francisco, CA; four grandchildren—Noah, Connor, Nicholas & Tessa Claudette Knezic; siblings-Grace Puravs of Ypsilanti, MI, Richard (Gale) Marden of Hemlock, MI, Allen (Jan) Marden of Standish, MI; and numerous nieces, nephews & cousins. She was preceded in death by her parents.