Visitation will also be held at the church on Saturday from 9am until time of service.

     RICHARD H. REIS, SR., age 90, of Unity, WI, peacefully passed away at home surrounded by his loving family on Friday, August 1, 2025.  Funeral services will be held at 10:30am on Saturday, August 9, 2025 at St. Anthony Catholic Church in Loyal, WI.  Rev. Emmanuel Famiyeh will officiate, and burial will follow in St. Anthony Catholic Cemetery.  Pallbearers will be: Mark Reis, Jacob Reis, Jeff Zettler, Michael Reis, Louis Nikolai, Margaret Reis, Timothy Nikolai and Robert Esselman.  Honorary pallbearers will be his remaining grandsons.  Military rites will be conducted by the Colby VFW Post 2227.  Visitation will be held at the church on Friday, August 8th from 4pm to 8pm, and again at the church on Saturday from 9am until time of service.

     Richard Howard Reis was born on September 1, 1934 in Pittsburg, PA, to Jacob J. and Emma E. (Schaum) Reis.  He was raised and received his education in Pittsburgh, attending Conly Trade School.  Richard was inducted into the U.S. Army in 1953 and served our country proudly in Korea in the infantry until his honorable discharge.  He was awarded a purple heart for injuries sustained in combat.  When he returned home, he met his future wife, a nurse, when he was hospitalized for appendicitis.  Richard was united in Holy Matrimony to Virginia P. Deck on January 14, 1956 at St. Joseph's Mt. Oliver Catholic Church in Pittsburgh.  Their union was blessed with 11 children and sadly 4 miscarriages.  Richard was a bricklayer by trade, which he worked very hard at.  They purchased a small dairy farm in southwestern Pennsylvania, and he continued his job as a bricklayer.  In 1972, they moved to a dairy farm in Clark County, rural Unity, WI.  During this time Richard continued to lay brick, working for Joe Lato, in Thorp, for 12 years.  He and his children continued to work and expand the farm to what it is today.  Richard will forever be remembered for his hard work, tenacious spirit, and his legacy he left for his family.

     Richard was a member of St. Anthony’s Catholic Church, and the Colby V.F.W. Post 2227.

     He will be dearly missed by his children: Deborah Esselman (John Baird) of Colby, Andrew Reis of Unity, Daniel (Carmen) Reis of Marshfield, Patrick (Kulani) Reis of Unity, Emma Jo (Allen) Zettler of Colby, Mary Ann (Rob) Rinehart of Willard, Anthony (Jody) Reis of Unity, Junitta (Todd) Nikolai of Loyal, Elizabeth (Roger) Nikolai of Loyal; 53 grandchildren and 54 great-grandchildren; two sisters: Dorothy Close of Clairton, PA, and Janet Reis of Bethel Park, PA; one brother, Aloysius Reis of Claysville, PA; many nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends.

     He was preceded in death by his wife, Virginia, on November 12, 2018; two sons: Richard and David Reis; one daughter-in-law, Colleen Reis; his parents; three brothers: Jacob, Norman and Raymond Reis; and one sister, Delores Lis.