Beatrice Adele (Vikse) Reierson, 98 of Pollock, SD, died Friday, July 3, 2020 at the Strasburg Care Center.

A private family service will be held at 10:00 am on Friday July 17, 2020 at the Pollock Lutheran Church, 318 Oahe St, Pollock, SD 57648.

A public visitation will be held from 4:30 pm – 6:30 pm on Thursday, July 16, at the Pollock Lutheran Church, 318 Oahe St, Pollock, SD 57648. After the visitation the family invites you to join them for an outdoor wake service at 6:30 p.m. at the Ralph Hanson Memorial Pavilion in the Pollock Park.

The family respectfully requests that all people in attendance wear face coverings and practice social distancing.

Pastor Ryan Sarenpa will be officiating. Burial will be in the Spring Creek Cemetery.

Beatrice was born on October 15, 1921 on their family farm northeast of Pollock just inside the North Dakota border.  Her parents were Knute and Milda (Grannes) Vikse.

Bea, as she was preferred to be called by her friends, attended grade school at the Nieuwsma School until the family moved to Troy, Idaho in 1934 during the Dirty Thirties. She attended high school there and graduated in 1939.

"Bea the Bucker" worked in Pasadena, CA where she worked as a "bucker" on the legendary P51 Mustang airplane.  As a "bucker," Bea held the rivet that "Rosie the Riveter" hammered to create these planes.  She proudly shared this story many times with her family.

Bea married Elmer Reierson on February 1, 1948 at the Spring Creek Lutheran Church in Old Pollock, SD. From 1948-1961 they made their home on their farm south of Firesteel, SD. They moved to the Rider Reierson farm in November 1961 where they lived until Elmer retired from farming in 1987.

Bea and Elmer were married for 56 years.  Seven children were born into this union:  Jerry of Denver, CO; Sharon (Tony) Welk of Bismarck, ND; Gene Rider (Jeris) of Foley, MN; Linda (Terry) Vander Vorst of Sioux Falls/Herreid, SD; Laurie Oswald of Pollock, SD; Knute (Rebecca) of Aberdeen, SD; and Julie (Bill) Brandner of Herreid, SD.

The family worshiped at Pollock Lutheran Church where Bea was active in many Bible studies, quilting, choir and Mary Circle.  In later years Bea taught Sunday School to small children.  Bea was also active in the Pollock American Legion Auxiliary and the Junior Matrons Extension Club.  She enjoyed singing, painting, reading, listening to music, sewing and cooking for her family.  Everyone loved Mom's fried chicken, hotdish, pork chops and her Sunday roast beef dinners. Elmer and Bea enjoyed spending their winters in Parker, Arizona for 12 years where she spent many hours reading about US presidents and their wives.

Mom faithfully watched Billy Graham crusades (even during Twin's baseball) and encouraged her family to love the Lord Jesus Christ. Momma loved her faith. Her love of family and her prayers for her children made her a role model for all, and she helped each of them to develop their own faith in Jesus Christ. Her favorite Bible verse was Ephesians 4:29: "Let no unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building up ones in need and bringing grace to those who will hear it."

If you knew Bea, you knew she was proud of her Norwegian heritage. In her later years she proudly announced that and became interested in family genealogy. This led to three trips to her homeland in Norway with some of her children. Bea enjoyed her 16 grandchildren and 17 great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her husband Elmer in 2004, parents Milda in 1977, Knute in 1947, father-in-law Rider in 1976, mother-in-law Anna (Knudson) Reierson in 1952, mother-in-law Molly  (Olson) Knudson Reierson in 1986, niece Debbie Heckelsmiller in 1967, sister Baby Vikse in 1920, sister LaVerna Heckelsmiller in 1967, brother Orland Vikse in 2011, brother-in-law Eddie Heckelsmiller in 2019, brother-in-law Roy Reierson in 1991, grandson Justin Brandner in 2004, and son-in-law Verne Oswald in 2012.

Bea was beloved by her family for her constant concern and prayers for each of her family members.  As her children, we feel that Mom instilled in us the desire to live our lives in a way that honored God. She lived her life echoing the precept of Micah 6:8b: "And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God."  May God bless the memory of Beatrice Adele Vikse!