ForeverMissed
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This website was created to honor our loved one, Kenneth Reigle. Kenny proudly served his country in the US Army from January 23, 1951 to April 8, 1952. We will remember him forever.

Tributes are short messages commemorating Kenneth, or an expression of support to his closest family and friends. Leave your first tribute here, and others will follow.

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KOREA by Francis M. Macy

April 10, 2017

KOREA

We didn't do much talking.
We didn't raise a fuss.
But Korea really happened,
So please--- remember us.
We all just did our duty.
But we didn't win or lose.
A victory was denied us,
But we never got to choose.
We all roasted in the summer
In the winter, damn near froze
Walking back from near the Yalu
With our blackened, frozen toes.
Like the surf the Chinks ket coming
With their bugles in the night.
And we fired into their masses
Praying for the morning light.
All of us just had to be there,
And so many of us died.
But now we're all but half forgotten
No one remembers how we tried.
We grow fewer with the years now.
And we still don't raise a fuss.
But Korea really happened.
So please--- remember us.

By Francis M. Macy 

Grandpa, The Cattle Buyer by Andy Reigle

April 10, 2017

Buyer #14--Stockmens Livestock, Yankton
This is where Grandpa would spend his Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

"Kenny Reigle, Line 1," would come over the intercom.  It was usually Chris Hayes, John Weisenkamp, Jim Wiese or any of the other numerous people Grandpa bought cattle for.  Bruce Bass from IBP would also call to check in on Grandpa during the fat cattle sale to make sure he wasn't buying
the whole sale again.

I remember Grandpa calling me up on Wednesday and saying, "I hope your truck drivers are rested.  I have 23 loads going to Dakota City by morning."  He would say, "You better give Dale Hinken a call to help you out, that way you don't screw up."  He always knew when Dale hauled the cattle there were never any problems.

Buyer #90--Norfolk Salebarn
This is where Grandpa went on Thursdays and Fridays.  

Grandpa enjoyed going to Norfolk.  He had been going there for over 50 years. Grandpa was very close to the Emerich family.  He dealt with them a lot, whether it was at the sale barn or out at their feedlot where we fed cattle.

I remember Dick Glandt, one of the owners at the time, always coming to get me during the cattle sales and taking me out for ice cream. 

I would spend a lot of time on the catwalk in Norfolk looking at all of the cattle.  I remember some of the other fat cattle buyers coming out and saying, "Andy, I want to show you a pen of cattle."  Then they would proceed to  say, "You think you could tell your grandpa not to bid against me on these so I can buy them."  I would never tell Grandpa.  I enjoyed watching the other buyers get frustrated with Grandpa because he wasn't letting them have any.

Norfolk was also the sale barn where Grandpa's favorite auctioneer,
Kurt Wragge, auctioned.  Grandpa was never afraid to tell Kurt when he thought the cattle were too high.

Buyer #85 Columbus Sales Pavillion.
This is where Grandpa would spend his Saturdays.

 Columbus was Grandpa's favorite sale barn.  He was great friends with Bob Loushbaugh and his grandson, Travis Bach.  I'm pretty sure after Bob passed away that Grandpa adopted Travis as a grandson.  They were very close.

I have many memories of Buyer #85, as I also spent many Saturdays in Columbus.  Columbus is where Grandpa taught me how to buy cattle when I was around the age of 10.  He would hit me with his knee every time I was supposed to bid.  He thought he was being sneaky, but I'm pretty sure Gary Hines or whoever was auctioneering knew what was going on.

I remember Bob Loushbaugh yelling from the block at Grandpa.  He would always say, "Kenny, are you just gonna sit there and bullshit with everybody or are you going to buy some cattle?"

I have many memories of spending time with Grandpa at sale barns.  But the greatest mlemory of all was always knowing when Grandpa was at a cattle sale, I knew he would be calling before the day was over to let me know what he bought and that meant that I got to talk to him.

Buyer #1
That's Grandpa's buyer number in our hearts.
Love you Grandpa. 
April 27, 2016 

Grandpa Reigle

April 8, 2017

My name is Carissa, I am Carol’s daughter and am honored to call this man my Grandpa.

Grandpa was many different things to many different people. He was a son, a brother, a husband, a father, a grandpa and a great-papa. He was a cattle buyer, a farmer, a friend and a mentor. He was a soldier, a hero, a protector and a patriot. Grandpa was a storyteller. Instead of talking about who he was to me, I want to share with you some of the life lessons he is leaving behind.

Be Honest. Grandpa was respected for his honestly. Not all that long ago we asked him who his favorite grandchild was. To be fair he was on a lot of medication but he did give us an answer. I’m not going to name names but I can tell you it wasn’t me! That may bother some but it didn’t bother me. He was simply telling the truth, as he always did and we all know just how deep his love is for each one of us.

Work Hard & Never Give Up. Grandpa worked hard his entire life. It is evident in the success of Reigle Farms. While I did not grow up on a farm I was fortunate enough to visit often, tag along to cattle sales and hear many, many of his stories. He worked hard and that is important, but he also showed us how to be passionate. Even when things get hard, don’t give up, keep fighting. I watched him physically get weaker over the past few months but never once did I see him give up!

Be Curious. Grandpa was always aware of what was happening around him. I believe this led too much of his success. If he didn’t know something he would ask questions until he understood. I am greatly going to miss his telephone calls to find out what was happening in my world. He knew when we had important things going on and wanted to know every detail. Not only did Grandpa like to collect knowledge, he never passed up an opportunity to teach others what he knew.

Sing Loud. My mom remembers his confident singing voice in church while us grandkids remember him loudly singing “These boots are made for walkin’” or “Hey good lookin’”. Grandpa was never ashamed, he was proud of everything he did. He taught us to be confident and proud of who WE are. We should all live our lives this way.

Love God & Your Country. As many of you know Grandpa was drafted into Korea and sacrificed for his country and all of us. If you were fortunate enough to hear even one of his war stories you know just how difficult it was for him over there. I was lucky enough to hear all of his stories, most of them more than once. During each story he would make sure that we were all reminded of exactly who got him through that hell. God was with him and brought him home. His experience, like so many others’, is something that should never be forgotten. Never lose faith, even when things seem impossible God will guide you through.

Appreciate Family. Grandpa was proud of his family. He would often say “look what I did, look what me and Mama did” when talking about his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. We could always count on Grandpa to share the latest story about what one of his great-grandkids did and never passed up an opportunity to tell an embarrassing story about when we were younger. He LOVED Grandma. Grandpa showed it in the way he looked at her and loved holding her hand. He taught us to depend on each other, enjoy the time we have together and support one another.

It’s OK To Cry. Grandpa was an emotional man, there were many times I saw him cry and many times I cried with him. Some may say showing emotion is a sign of weakness, because of him I strongly disagree. When he would cry I would see passion, sadness, fear and happiness. He was never ashamed to cry. Today Grandpa would say that it is ok for all of us to cry, and I hope that he understands my tears for him are filled with love.

The final lesson that Grandpa taught all of us was to NEVER SAY GOOD-BYE but to say see you later. So Grandpa…I love you and can’t wait to see you later.

Grandpa Reigle ∙ April 27, 2016

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