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Vera Jeannette Lee Rieck

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Vera Jeannette Lee Rieck

Birth	:	13 Jun 1921 Nebraska, USA
Death	:	7 Dec 2010 Wyoming, Chisago County, Minnesota, USA
Burial	:	Saint Nicholas Catholic Cemetery, Frenchtown, Seneca County, USA
Coordinate	:	41.0280610, -83.3429880
Description	:	Daughter of John Lee (of Norway) and Louise Belgum Lee. Sister to; Irene Stella and Norma J. Garden County News (Oshkosh, Nebraska), Dec. 16, 2010, Page 5 Rieck, Vera J. (Lee), age 89 of Wyoming, Minnesota died on December 7, 2010. Preceded in death by her beloved husband, Chester, of 65 years; son Danny; sister Irene. Vera is survived by her children, Byron (Karen), Suzanne (Gary) Newsome, Nikki (Benny Ray), Bailey, and Colleen Rieck; nine grandchildren, Benny Ray II, Brenda, Timothy, Chet, John, Steven, Emma, Nikki and Trevor; great grandchildren; Kennedy, Wyatt, Elsa, Lila; sister Norma... Read More	Daughter of John Lee (of Norway) and Louise Belgum Lee. Sister to; Irene Stella and Norma J. Garden County News (Oshkosh, Nebraska), Dec. 16, 2010, Page 5 Rieck, Vera J. (Lee), age 89 of Wyoming, Minnesota died on December 7, 2010. Preceded in death by her beloved husband, Chester, of 65 years; son Danny; sister Irene. Vera is survived by her children, Byron (Karen), Suzanne (Gary) Newsome, Nikki (Benny Ray), Bailey, and Colleen Rieck; nine grandchildren, Benny Ray II, Brenda, Timothy, Chet, John, Steven, Emma, Nikki and Trevor; great grandchildren; Kennedy, Wyatt, Elsa, Lila; sister Norma Lamascus; nieces, nephews & many friends. Funeral Service will be held at 11:00 a.m., Friday, December 10, 2010 at St. Paul Lutheran Church, 5879 Wyoming Trail, Wyoming, Minnesota. Visitation will be 5:00- 8:00 p.m., Thursday, December 9, 2010 at Mattson Funeral Home, 343 North Shore Drive, Forest Lake; continuing one hour prior to the service at the church. In lieu of flowers, memorials preferred to St. Paul Lutheran Church, Wyoming, Minnesota. Chet's and Vera's ashes will be brought to Ash Hollow at a later date. An estimated 460 American women died as a result of their service in the World War II. In 1943, U.S. ARMY nurse Vera Lee came close to being one of them. 9 Sep 1943, Allied forces launched a ferocious six-day invasion of Salerno, Italy. Vera Lee was with the 95th Evacuation Hospital in the Gulf of Salerno, aboard the hospital ship for the Eight Army, the HMHS Newfoundland, which was attempting to deliver nurses to the Salerno beaches. Although the white ship bore giant red crosses and was brightly illuminated at night, the Luftwaffe repeatedly bombed it, killing six nurses and all medical officers aboard, and damaging the ship to such an extent that the Allies had no choice by to scuttle it on September 14. Ten weeks later Lee wrote her family in Lewellen, Nebraska to describe the attack and how lucky she was to be alive. She had witnessed firsthand the fate of another nurse who wasn't so fortunate. The original letter: Dearest all: Just yesterday I wrote a letter but your airmail of Oct 30th & v-mail of Nov 7th came this morning so will answer them today. Jan and I got up for breakfast this morning and made a dashing trip with our mail man to another town to have my picture taken for identification or a.g.o card. I've been without a bit of identification since the bombing – no dog tags, no pay datta card – I'm almost not in this army. It has sort of worried my too – because something could have happened & no one know who I belong to. I stall have my chain around my neck but the dog tags were torn off – Guess that something fell on my chest that morning & took them off. I still don't know if tis will pass censor but will try & tell you what happened the 13th of Sept. we tried to land in Italy all day Sunday the 12th but they were too busy fighting to worry about a hundred nurses on a hospital ship. Several bombs just missed us several times be we didn't really realize that it was all about. Evening came & we had to go out of the harbor because our ship was all lit up. We taxied around in the see off shore about 30 miles all nite – our ship & 4 other Hospital ships – at 5 a.m. we were awakened by a bomb falling very close to us – Some of the girls dressed then but most of us went back to sleep. (We all slept in the nood because all our clothes were packed & ready to get off the ship the next morning). At 5:10 we heard a plane & then that awful whistle a bomb makes & bang! You'll never know of the thousand of things that flashed thro my mind those few second. I thought sure I was dying-could feel hot water falling on my face & body-had heavy boards on my chest that had fallen from the ceiling-I shut my eyes & thought it was the end- Then the next second I thought "What the hell, I'm not dead-get out of this place" – then I could see poor Wheeler & Waldin without a stitch of clothes on trying to find anything to put on. I couldn't see for the terrific smoke in our room-but was a mass of motion trying to find my coveralls, which I had hung on the post hole the nite before, I found on the floor-all soaked with water & black with dirt-put them on & found my shoes-grabbed my helmet & water canteen & grabbed on to someone's arm & followed the light that Claudine was holding. She couldn't hardly find where the door was because the wall had blown out. When we cot on the deck we all had to get on one side because the bomb had town away the other side of the ship. I'll never forget seeing this one British nurse trying to get thro the porthole but was to large to make it. She was screaming terribly because her room was all in flames. One British fellow saw that she could never get out so he knocked her in the head with his fist and shoved her back in his room-she died but it was much easier that if she had burned to death. We loaded in a lifeboat-70 of us in one boat that had a capacity of 30. Were taken on another hospital ship & given tea & hot coffee. I felt a darn good cry coming on so some British fellow took the 4 of we girls to his room & we drank a bottle of Scotch. I got "stinko" drunk – cried & when I snapped out of it, I felt fine. All the bruises I got out of it was a scratch on my knee, a cut on my left foot and marks & scratches on my chest where debree fell from the roof. Someday I'll tell you more about it… Love, Vera

frequently asked questions (FAQ):

Where is Vera Jeannette Lee Rieck's memorial?
Vera Jeannette Lee Rieck's memorial is located at: Saint Nicholas Catholic Cemetery, Frenchtown, Seneca County, USA.
When did Vera Jeannette Lee Rieck death?
Vera Jeannette Lee Rieck death on 7 Dec 2010 in Wyoming, Chisago County, Minnesota, USA
Where are the coordinates of the Vera Jeannette Lee Rieck's memorial?
Latitude: 41.0280610
Longitude: -83.3429880

Family Members:

Parent

Louise Valgborg Belgum Eaton

(1894 - 1991)

Spouse

Chester Robert “Chet” Rieck

(1915 - 2003)

Siblings

Irene Stella Lee Rook

(1916 - 2008)

Children

Danny D Rieck

(1955 - 2003)

Flowers:

Nearby Cemetories:

1. Saint Nicholas Catholic Cemetery
Frenchtown, Seneca County, USA
Coordinate: 41.0280610, -83.3429880

2. Saint Boniface Catholic Cemetery
New Riegel, Seneca County, USA
Coordinate: 41.0542200, -83.3232600

3. Big Spring Cemetery
Seneca County, USA
Coordinate: 41.0032997, -83.3874969

4. Reisz Cemetery
New Riegel, Seneca County, USA
Coordinate: 41.0503006, -83.2956009

5. McKenzie Cemetery
Crawford, Wyandot County, USA
Coordinate: 40.9853860, -83.3191660

6. Saint Peter Catholic Cemetery
Alvada, Seneca County, USA
Coordinate: 41.0656013, -83.3843994

7. Baker Cemetery
Carey, Wyandot County, USA
Coordinate: 40.9730988, -83.3324966

8. Jerusalem Cemetery
Seneca County, USA
Coordinate: 41.0438995, -83.2632980

9. Spring Grove Cemetery
Carey, Wyandot County, USA
Coordinate: 40.9696999, -83.3824997

10. Saint Marys Cemetery
Carey, Wyandot County, USA
Coordinate: 40.9641991, -83.3780975

11. Saint John Cemetery
McCutchenville, Wyandot County, USA
Coordinate: 40.9895000, -83.2635300

12. Dunn Cemetery
Wyandot County, USA
Coordinate: 40.9766998, -83.2742004

13. Methodist Cemetery
Seneca County, USA
Coordinate: 40.9970330, -83.2534270

14. Biglick Cemetery
Hancock County, USA
Coordinate: 41.0355988, -83.4411011

15. Old Lutheran Cemetery
McCutchenville, Wyandot County, USA
Coordinate: 40.9907550, -83.2576460

16. Saint John's United Church of Christ Cemetery
Fostoria, Seneca County, USA
Coordinate: 41.1036570, -83.3646250

17. Graham Cemetery
Hancock County, USA
Coordinate: 41.0403150, -83.4468340

18. Lutheran Ridge Cemetery
Wyandot County, USA
Coordinate: 40.9810982, -83.4289017

19. Old Lutheran Ridge Cemetery
Carey, Wyandot County, USA
Coordinate: 40.9762050, -83.4263990

20. Saint Patrick Catholic Cemetery
Loudon Township, Seneca County, USA
Coordinate: 41.1082993, -83.3155975

21. Sheller Cemetery
Seneca County, USA
Coordinate: 41.0980988, -83.4024963

22. Carey Association Cemetery
Carey, Wyandot County, USA
Coordinate: 40.9488857, -83.3802392

23. Reiniger Cemetery
Seneca County, USA
Coordinate: 41.0579360, -83.2377170

24. Kear Cemetery
Tymochtee, Wyandot County, USA
Coordinate: 40.9528300, -83.2888100