Riegsecker, Marvin (1937-2008)

Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 2008 Oct 13 p. 6

Birth date: 1937 Jul 5

text of obituary:

Goshen, Ind., state senator dies at 71

By Celeste Kennel-Shank

Mennonite Weekly Review

Marvin Riegsecker, an Indiana state senator for 20 years and a member of College Mennonite Church in Goshen, ind., died Sept. 30 in an Indianapolis hospital from complications due to cancer. He was 71.

A Republican, Riegsecker represented much of Elkhart County. A hallmark of his career was advocating for providing services to people with developmental disabilities.

"In my four years in state government, I never met a kinder or more decent person than Marvin Riegsecker," Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels said in a statement. "Plus, he was brave in helping us tackle tough issues, always caring more about Indian's future than his own political future."

Riegsecker had been ill for about 18 months. He announced in January that he would not run for a sixth term.

Prior to being elected to the State Senate in 1988, Riegsecker was an Elkhart County commissioner from 1985 to 1988 and county coroner from 1977 to 1984. He had also been a retail pharmacist.

Riegsecker had been a member of College Mennonite since 1971.

Pastor Klaudia Smucker remembers Riegsecker's kindness.

"When you first talked to him, you wouldn't have thought he was a politician," she said. "He lived his faith, and was a person with a lot of integrity."

In being a politician, Riegsecker saw an opportunity to provide justice to people such as those with disabilities, Smucker said.

"He felt like God had opened these doors for him to do this work," she said.

Smucker led Riegsecker's memorial service at College Mennonite Oct. 4. One text she used in the service was Eph. 3:14-17, which speaks of being rooted and grounded in Christ's love. "I saw him as a rooted and grounded person," Smucker said.

Riegsecker was born July 5, 1937, in Elkhart County to Levi and Mayme (Kauffman Riegsecker.

He married Norma Shrock on Aug. 3, 1958.

He graduated from the University of Colorado, Boulder, in 1967 with a degree in pharmacy.

Riegsecker is survived by his wife and children Steven and Andrea Riegsecker of Chicago and Michael and Ann Riegsecker of Appleton, Wis.; two grandsons; stepmother, Irene Riegsecker, three brothers, Keith Riegsecker of Goshen, Verl Riegsecker of Indianapolis and Dennis Riegsecker of Licoln, Neb.; and a sister Joyce Craven of Middlebury, ind.

He was preceded in death by a brother, Orval Lee Riegsecker.