John J. Reis, 93, of Bismarck, passed away August 14, 2022, at home with his loving family by his side.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10:00 AM on Friday, August 19, 2022, at the Ascension Catholic Church, Bismarck, ND. Burial will follow at 12:00 PM at the North Dakota Veterans Cemetery, Mandan, ND. A Livestream of the Service will be available on the Bismarck Funeral Home Facebook page.
Visitation will be held Thursday, August 18, 2022, from 5:00-7:00 PM at the Ascension Catholic Church, with a Rosary and Vigil Service at 7:00 PM. Visitation will continue at the church one hour prior to the service on Friday.
John was born August 9, 1929, on a farm east of Strasburg to John and Regina (Schumacher) Reis. He farmed with his dad until he married Bernadine (Bernie) Welk on October 23, 1950, at the country church, St. Aloysius north of Hague.
John was drafted into the Korean War and left on April 9, 1951. After being injured in the front lines, he was flown to Japan to a hospital there until his honorable discharge on April 3, 1953, and from there he returned home.
John and Bernie then moved to Milwaukee, WI, where he worked in a factory until they moved back to North Dakota. They lived and worked in Linton until 1971. After they moved to Bismarck he worked at Bobcat until 1985. He was a lifetime member of Veterans of Foreign Wars and Knights of Columbus.
John will be deeply missed by his wife of 71 years, Bernie; seven children, Jean and Jim Vetsch, Judy and Mel Bullinger, Joyce and Jim Lewers, Jan and Rusty Steffan, Jennifer and Dave Horner, Jim and Teresa Reis, and JoAnn Roberts. They lost their first born, John James at birth. John is also survived by a brother, Ernie (LuVina) Reis; a sister, Helen (Irv) Senger; eighteen grandchildren; fifteen great grandchildren; two great great grandchildren; and numerous nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents; one son; four grandchildren; two great grandchildren; one baby sister; four brothers; and his in-laws, Leo and Clara (Mastel) Welk.
In lieu of flowers, in memory of John, please make memorials to Red River Valley Hospice, 1701 38th St. S., Suite 101, Fargo, ND 58103 or https://www.hrrv.org/giving-back/
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