Orville Walter Rients, 97, of rural Minonk, passed away Saturday (Aug. 15, 2020) 5:58 a.m. at St. James Hospital, Pontiac.
Visitation will be Tuesday from 9:30 a.m. to 10:45 a.m. at St. Petri Lutheran Church, Flanagan. Private family services will follow. Burial will follow at St. Petri Lutheran Cemetery. Pastor Amy Berger will officiate. Memorials may be made to his church.
Due to COVID-19 restrictions, face masks are required and social distancing will be followed. Visitation will be limited to 10 people at a time.
Calvert-Johnson & Froelich Memorial Home, Flanagan, is in charge of arrangements.
Orville was born Jan. 26, 1923 in rural Minonk, to Otto and Ida (Post) Rients. He married Helen Kruse in Benson. She preceded him in death. He later married Dorothy (Hoerner) Hassinger in Flanagan. She preceded him in death.
Surviving are two children, Karen (Mark) Bellot, of Joliet, and Alan (Susan) Rients, of Minonk; stepchildren, Larry (Deanna) Hassinger, of Pontiac, and Diane (Steve) Hammond, of Fairbury. His grandchildren, Audrey (Andy) Johnson, John Bellot, Allison (Spencer) Williams, Jennifer Bellot, Megan Rients, Katie Rients and Jared Rients; great-grandchildren, Scarlett and Theodore Johnson; stepgrandchildren, Kimberly (Scott) Brooks, Kyle (Sarah) Hammond and Joe (Ashley) Hassinger and six stepgreat-grandchildren. His sister, Clara Spencer, of Flanagan, also survives.
His parents and one sister, Alice Lutjens, and a granddaughter, Emily Bellot, preceded him in death.
Orville attended the local grade school and Minonk High School. He then farmed with his father.
He was a lifelong member of St. Petri Evangelical Lutheran Church where he served on the church council and had served as treasurer of the church. He retired from active farming in 2011.