Sylvester Ralph Riehle, age 79 of Sunman, Indiana passed away on January 19, 2019. The son of John A. and Loretta (nee: Fritsch) Riehle was born on May 22, 1939 in Sunman.
Sylvester attended St. Nicholas grade school and Sunman High School. After a five-year courtship, he married Ruth Jean Effing on September 14, 1963 at St. Anne’s Catholic Church in Hamburg, IN.
He worked at Hill-Rom as a wood sander and later for Hillenbrand Industries as a cap metal sander and in maintenance. He was a member of St. Louis Catholic Church in Batesville.
In 1960 he bought his first car, a new 1960 Chevrolet Impala from Chris Volz Motors for $3,200 cash. Together with his wife, they bought Howard Cook’s mother’s house for $8,500. Then in 1966 they bought their home place where they still reside.
Sylvester enjoyed spending his days finishing old wood furniture and going out fishing. In his younger years roller skating was a favorite past time and he played softball on a company team call the Monoseals. Sylvester liked to help out the guys on the farm with his own ‘meals on wheels’. He always loved having dinner with friends and family and will be dearly missed by them all.
He is survived by his wife, Ruth; children, Laura Ann Taylor (Michael), Tammy Jean Faulkinbury (Joe Ed), Scott Allen Riehle, Eric Jon Riehle (Marlene) and Neal Ryan Riehle; 9 grandchildren and one great grandchild; one brother Nicholas Riehle (Marilene); brothers-in-law, Alfred Hoeing, Jerome Larmann, Russell Fette, and Glenn Moore and sister-in-law Mary Ann Hemke Riehle-Disch.
In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his siblings, Mary Forthofer, Raymond Riehle, Coletta Weber, Amelia Weber, Anna Fette, Edna Suttmiller, Viola Hountz, Herbert Riehle, Romilda Hoeing, Pauline Larmann, Marcella Hartman, Matilda Moore, Wilfred Riehle and John J. Riehle.
Visitation will be Tuesday, January 22, 2019 from 9am – 11am at Meyers Funeral Home in Batesville with rosary at 9am. Followed by a 11:30am Mass of Christian burial at St. Louis Catholic Church in Batesville.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be given to Milan FFA, Nathan’s Hearing Implant Fund, Manderely Bird Seed Fund, Our Hospice of SE Indiana and masses to St. Louis Church.
Online condolences www.meyersfuneralhomes.com.