Our beloved mother, Mary Anne Rietkerk passed peacefully in her home in Corcoran, CA on October 1, 2015 after a brief battle with lymphoma. She was 84 years old.
Mary, born November 27, 1930, daughter of Anthony and Maria Lorenzo, grew up in Waukena with 4 sisters and one brother, graduated from Tulare Union High School, and was a long time resident of Corcoran with Tony, her husband of 42 years. She raised seven children, was a bookkeeper for Monroe and Keefe, and worked at Premier Pathology Labs in Porterville. She was active with Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church and catechism, the local election board, and travelled with the historical society. She wished to be remembered for her belief in God; she felt that her greatest achievement was raising seven good children that all believe in God.
Survivors include her sisters, Mable Simas of Anaheim and Rose Zimmerly of Elk Grove; her children and spouses, Kathleen Rietkerk Loo of Los Altos, Stephen Rietkerk with wife Margaret of Sierra Vista AZ, Debra Hanks, MD with husband Dave of Porterville, Pete Rietkerk with wife Tina of Corcoran, Anthony Rietkerk of Templeton, Mary Matsuno with husband Moto of Northridge, and Teresa Phrachanhsay with husband Van of Fresno; fourteen grandchildren; and six great grandchildren.
Mary was preceded in death by her husband, Tony Rietkerk; brother Tony Lorenzo; and sisters Wilhemina Lorenzo and Lucy Bangle.
Visitation was held at the Bledsoe Family People’s Funeral Chapel in Corcoran Thursday, October 8, 2015 from 3-6 p.m., followed by a Rosary was held at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church at 7 p.m. Funeral mass was held Friday October 9, 2015 at 1 p.m. at the catholic church, with internment at Corcoran District Cemetery, followed by a reception at the church Goretti Center.
The family requests that memorial contributions be sent to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of Fresno at donate.lls.org or 340 W. Fallbrook Avenue Suite 101, Fresno, CA 93711; (559) 435-1482.
