Agnes Lydia Rieger

Fittingly early Sunday morning January 12, 2025, Agnes Rieger passed into her new life from Grace Memory Care in Twin Falls, Idaho.

 Agnes was born on the 4th of July 1927 in Kansas City, KS to Richard R. Crowson and Bessie E. (Mitchell) Crowson the third of eleven siblings. The depression and recent dust bowl caused her parents to look westward for greener opportunities and the family landed in Twin Falls while heading toward Oregon several months before her 10th birthday. After surveying the city Richard thought it was an ideal site to further his carpentry business and raise their expanding family. Transitioning from a one-room schoolhouse, Agnes attended public schools in Twin including TFJH and TFHS at its city-center location and graduated in May 1945. She started her career immediately afterwards working for the War Relocation Authority at the Minidoka Relocation Center as a clerk-stenographer. Daily Agnes rode the bus to the Hunt Camp worksite enjoying her work there with the staff and the Japanese American internees despite the difficult circumstances everyone faced and the occasional language barriers. The camp closed in 1947, and she then worked for the Bureau of Entomology on north Blue Lakes as a stenographer until 1951. That facility was affectionately called “the bug house” by locals as research there centered on crop damaging insects.

 Agnes had met and became enamored by a dashing WWII Navy veteran, Lloyd W. Rieger. They were wed 8/31/47 in Twin Falls and with no honeymoon in the offing, the young couple settled into an apartment at the Justamere Inn and their jobs, Lloyd then a bread delivery truck driver. Several years later they were blessed with a daughter, Sherie L. (Rieger) Keyt, born in the spring of 1951. From then on Agnes’ focus shifted to her home and very busy church life. Her mother Bessie, an ordained minister, was the adult Sunday school teacher and a leader in the local Wesleyan Holiness Church. Agnes too felt a strong calling by her Lord working tirelessly with the attending families, particularly their children in classes and the special Christmas and Easter programs she helped write. Her focus was to have them learn the Bible and its teaching of God’s love.. She was especially enthusiastic in helping them learn and memorize their individual speaking and singing parts for the many programs she led. During her years in tenure as the local Sunday School Superintendent she received several accommodations for achievement. In later years the number of children in attendance diminished so she prepared and led a weekly Wednesday night Bible study and taught the adult class on Sunday mornings helping pastor John Sander wherever she could to include serving as the church Secretary-Treasurer. She applied this same industriousness and thoughtful care to home and garden as well whether it was keeping a near spotless house, repairing Lloyd’s coats or pants after his weekly truck route, sewing entire outfits for Sherie or tending to her special backyard roses. All were completed at near perfection, a challenging standard she demanded of herself first, but others felt it as well.

Agnes was a very loving and involved grandmother that relished her time with her grand-daughters Noell Bautista and Holly Keyt. They were blessed to receive her unbounded care and attention to even the most minor crisis a girl faces growing up. She was always a ready guide and support for them, aiding with preparations for school and transportation at times to functions, sporting activities and piano lessons while their parents were at work. She never missed a recital or showing her enthusiasm over their performances. The same tight bonds developed with her four great-granddaughters as they came to know her love for each one as well.

Agnes was preceded in death by her parents and nine of her siblings. She is survived by her husband of 78 years, Lloyd Rieger (101) and sisters, Roberta Mount of Mt. Orb, Ohio and Francis Wallace of Roseville, California, daughter Sherie Keyt (David) of Twin Falls, granddaughters and great granddaughters and many nieces and nephews spread throughout our great country.

The family wishes to extend special thanks to Agnes’ caregivers John Tibbits, Marla Lay, the nurses and staff at Grace and Heritage Hospice for their efforts on her behalf.

Funeral arrangements are under the care of Rosenau Funeral Home in Twin Falls. Agnes’ service will be held there on Tuesday, January 28, 2025, at 1:00 pm with an interment service immediately following at the Twin Falls Cemetery located at 2350 4th Avenue East. Memories and condolences may be shared with the family at Rosenau’s website: www.rosenaufuneralhome.com