Erasmus “Ras” Reiter, 80, Dickinson, died Sunday, January 3, 2016 at his home. Ras’ Mass of Christian Burial will be at 10:30 a.m., Thursday, January 7, 2016, at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, with Fr. Todd Kreitinger as the celebrant. Interment will take place at the North Dakota Veterans Cemetery, Mandan. Military honors will be provided by the Dickinson Honors Team following the Mass. Visitation will be on Wednesday from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., at Ladbury Funeral Service, with a rosary & vigil at 7 p.m., with Deacon Al Schwindt presiding.
Erasmus “Ras” Reiter was born on Sept. 15, 1935 and was the youngest child of Ben & Rose (Schwindt) Reiter. He was raised near Zenith and South Heart until moving to Dickinson in 1943, where he attended St. Joseph’s Catholic School and graduated from Model High. Ras joined the US Air Force in 1953 and served honorably until February of 1957. While in the Air Force he served as Crew Chief and a single engine jet mechanic. He received the National Defense Service Medal & the Korean Service Medal. Upon returning home from the service he went to work constructing overhead power lines from 1957 to 1964. It was while working up near Walhalla that he met and married his wife of 55 years, Janice Phillips. To this union they added son Ross and daughters Cheryl and Sandra as they traveled with the overhead power line construction business, eventually settling in Wayne, Neb., where he went to work for Wayne Rural Electric before transferring to Dickinson where he worked for West Plains Electric until he retired in 1997.
Ras was a member of the American Legion, VFW, St. Anthony’s Club and German Hungarian.
One of Ras’ favorite past times was fishing and boating with his wife Jan, as well as family and friends. He enjoyed pheasant hunting in the fall with his nephews and grandsons, where they always seemed to get lucky and somehow get their limit. He was also an excellent self taught guitar player and often played at family gatherings along with other relatives that were musicians.
Ras was a loving husband, father, brother, uncle, grandpa, great-grandpa and friend and will sadly be missed by those he left behind. Which includes wife Janice; son Ross (Angela) Reiter, Dickinson; and daughters Cheryl (Nick) O’Dell, San Antonio, Texas & Sandra Phelps-Oberfoell, Bowman; grand-children Megan (Tony) Decker, San Antonio, Texas, Mandi (Marc) Brandt, Dickinson, Andrea (Joseph) Sevier, Emeryville, Calif., Laci (Cameron) Coates, Bowman, Chrissy (Tommy Brown) Reiter, Dickinson, Ryan Reiter, Dickinson, Haley Phelps & Ben Phelps, Bowman; and foster grandson Jimmy Michels, Billings, Mont.; along with great-grandchildren, Mickenzie Hill, Ellie Hill-Decker, Kylie & Dylan Brandt and Finley and Alivia Coates. He is also survived by one sister Josephine Highness, Dickinson; and many nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents Ben and Rose; brothers Anton, Leonard, George, William F. and Louie Reiter; and sisters Barbara Sproul and Mary Linhart.
