John Calvin “Cal” Riedesel, age 71, of Sac City, formerly of Glidden, passed away on Tuesday, January 31, 2023, at St. Luke’s Regional Medical Center in Sioux City, Iowa.
A funeral service will be held at 10:30 A.M. on Saturday, February 11, 2023 at the First Presbyterian Church in Glidden, Pastor Anna Small officiating. Visitation will be held at the church prior to the funeral service, from 9:30 to 10:15 A.M. Burial will take place in the Merle Hay Memorial Cemetery, Glidden immediately following the service. Funeral arrangements are under the direction of the Dahn and Woodhouse Funeral Home in Glidden. Online condolences may be left for the family at www.dahnandwoodhouse.com.
Born July 16, 1951 at Carroll, Iowa, Cal was the second of five children born to John F. and Adeline (Howard) Riedesel. He grew up on a farm half a mile north of Glidden and attended Glidden-Ralston schools, graduating in 1969. Cal furthered his education at the Boone campus of Des Moines Area Community College where he earned an Associate of Arts degree in 1971.
Cal is survived by his older brother Warren Riedesel (Mary) of Des Moines and sister Barbara Iverson, Minneapolis. He was preceded in death by his parents, his brother Miles Riedesel of Storm Lake (2012), and sister Suzanne Rinehart of Boise, Idaho (2016).
Cal was highly intelligent but an unconventional student, to which a number of his teachers would attest. He had a reputation as a prankster, occasionally landing in the principal’s office to “explain” his misdeeds. Cal had a great mechanical mind. He could fix anything from a motorcycle to a car, a go-kart to a watch, a lawn mower to a stereo. He was far less interested in academics. Yet, he had a deep interest in reading – everything from the Bible (which he claimed to have read five times, cover to cover), to his World Book encyclopedias. He knew more about the history of U.S. Presidents and the world wars than most of us. He also collected LP records from the 1960s and 70s and loved to sing along with the lyrics and analyze them like literature. He was also an avid collector of watches, rings and valuable coins.
Cal was robbed of some of his incredible potential by Bipolar Disorder, a debilitating mental illness which had its onset in his early 20s. To his credit, he managed to live independently in Glidden for 27 years before moving to the Mallard View care facility in Carroll, and later to the Howard Center group home in Sac City where he spent his final eight years. His parents and siblings loved Cal and gave him their undying support for the 50 years that he lived with his disability.
Cal’s family is thankful for all the people in Cal’s life who attempted to understand and empathize with his condition; to help him cope with his situation. This includes his caretakers at Mallard View and the Howard Center, and all the people from the Glidden community who treated Cal with dignity and respect.
The family asks that memorial contributions be made to the Howard Center, Inc. (1319 Early St., Sac City, IA 50583) or the Glidden Presbyterian Church (PO Box 604, Glidden, IA 51443).
