Beth Rietz-Walth
Beth Rietz-Walth, age 90 of Aberdeen, SD, died peacefully on Wednesday, October 26, 2022.
Beth Elaine, the daughter of Dwight V. and Orcelia (Fryer) Gerber, was born on December 2, 1931, near Peever, SD. She attended rural school in Roberts County and graduated from Peever High School in 1949. During high school, she won 3 State Essay Contests which enabled her to attend Northern State University securing a two-year teaching certificate. She taught for one year in Sisseton, SD and then married the first love of her life, Edwin E. Rietz, on August 25, 1951.
They lived together on a farm near Mansfield, SD and raised four children. In addition to being a great wife and mother, she continued on with her education securing a Masters Degree from Northern State University in 1969. She was a Speech and Language Pathologist for the Aberdeen Public School System for 24 years from1969 to 1993 and received a Teacher of the Year Award. After the death of her husband, Edwin, of 39 years, she moved to Aberdeen.
She met the second love of her life, Myron Walth, and they were married on June 13, 1993. Myron was her husband for 29 years and they spent many winters in Arizona and summers in South Dakota.
Beth enjoyed teaching in so many ways whether it was through the school district, as a Sunday School teacher, as a 4-H Leader, or through teaching English as a Second Language. She began the first hearing impaired speech program in the Aberdeen Public Schools and taught speech to those nine children for many years. They remembered her so much that they came back to see her in the summer of 2021. She encouraged education in her children and grandchildren and enjoyed spending time with them.
She loved traveling, quilting, crocheting, gardening, reading, and volunteering. She volunteered at Zion Lutheran Church, Brown County Fair, Lutheran Thrift Shop in Arizona, and the Salvation Army. Beth was also a member of the Mansfield Busy Bees Extension Club for 30 years and a Worthy Matron of Orphah Chapter #159 Order of Eastern Star. She was a member of the Moose and American Legion Auxiliary, Kappa Delta Gamma, Aberdeen Retired Teachers, Aberdeen Education Association, South Dakota Teachers Association, and a life time member of National Education Association.
She is survived by her current husband, Myron F. Walth; two of her children, Steven Rietz of Hardin, MT; and Janelle Rietz-Kamenar (Tim Kamenar) of Apple Valley, MN; daughter in laws Linda (Alan) of Mansfield, SD and Suzi Rietz(David) of Billings, MT; two step-sons Craig Walth (Mary) of Gold Canyon, AZ, and Dwight Walth (Lisa) of Gilbert AZ; her brother Quentin Gerber of Sioux Falls, SD, her sister, Doris Laubach of Sisseton, SD and sister-in-law, Jeannine Gerber, also of Sisseton, SD; many nieces and nephews; 6 grandchildren and 8 step-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her first husband, Edwin E. Rietz; two sons Edwin Alan Rietz, and David J. Rietz; brothers Wallace and Delton Gerber, sister LaDonna Wallace, Sister in Laws Joyce Gebhardt and Muriel Gerber; Brother in Laws Roger Laubach and Richard Gross; and stepdaughter Story Horn.