George Edward Olin Riise, age 99, died February 28 at Alexander Cohen Hospice House in Hughson. He was born January 31, 1919 in Turlock, at the then new Emanuel Hospital.
He was the last surviving of 12 children of Ingebrigt A.L. Riise.
An immigrant from Saebo, Norway, and Minnie J. Ricketts of Bieber, Ca.
He attended grammar school at Mt. View school, and attended Turlock High.
His father in the 1920s managed a large farm for the Storer family at the corner of Taylor Road and Mt. View Road, Turlock.
George served in the U.S. Army from 1936 to 1940, and was a security M.P. at Wheeler/Scofield Air field for Amelia Earhart prior to her disappearance in July 1937.
George moved his family to Oakdale in 1949, to work for P. Giambanco Wine Vinegar Co. at Claribel and Oakdale-Waterford roads. Later, he worked for rural Oakdale division of Stanislaus County Road Dept. He retired from Stanislaus County in 1977, and moved to his 22 acre mountain ranch in Midpines, where he lived until passing.
George is survived by his wife Jane, and step daughter Sue Kilgore, and her extended family of Midpines/Mariposa.
His children, Diane Riise Jennings (Tirzah Stenner) of Modesto, Don Riise (Judy) of Oakdale, Heidi Riise Roberts (Geo) of Colorado Springs, Co., Eric Riise (Julie) of Washington, Andrea Riise Hemsley (Robert) of Turlock, Aaron Riise (Monica), of CloudCroft New Mexico; 13 grandchildren, and 24 great grandchildren.
Donation in George’s memory can be made to: Alexander Cohen House, Hughson, Ca.
No funeral services.
The Oakdale (Calif.) Leader
March 7, 2018