Chris G. Riener

Chris Gerard Riener was born on May 3, 1957 in Cottonwood, Idaho, the 3rd of 9 children born to Rudy and Margo Riener. He was their oldest son. Chris went to be with Jesus on September 25, 2023.

Chris went to grade school at Saint Maurus in Ferdinand and attended Prairie High School in Cottonwood. He later went to North Idaho College in Coeur d'Alene. He took flying lessons and had a Kit Airplane and a Gyrocopter, which were lost when his home burned down in Craigmont in 1995. He was a Gyrocopter enthusiast and went to many of their conventions.

Chris loved to work and enjoyed meeting interesting customers while delivering gravel for Rieners' Crushing. He was known for being a responsible driver and an honest employee. Chris drove semi-truck across the states for a while, too. He worked many years at the sawmill in Craigmont before he lost his home there. Afterwards, he moved back to Ferdinand. He also worked in Alaska for several years and on a fishing boat in Galveston, Texas. He loved to travel and explore but was always happy to live in Ferdinand and on the Camas Prairie. Chris was very interested in genealogy and knew so much about his family history and the area. He was thankful for his birth family and his church family. Chris had a terrible accident from a truck's split rim exploding, in 2003. His right arm and leg were both almost completely severed. He spent over a year in the hospital and had multiple surgeries. It was a miracle that both his arm and leg healed, and he could use them and continue to work.

Chris loved to read, especially his Bible. He was a true testimony to how the Word of God renews us. He always had a New Testament in his pocket and liked to pull it out to read while waiting for a load of gravel.

Chris spent many winters in Northern Alberta with his siblings. He was a wonderful blessing to their families. Chris was a loving, generous uncle. He had a great sense of humor and told the best stories.

Chris was preceded by his beloved father, Rudy and his brother-in-law John.

He is greatly missed by his mother, Margo; and his siblings: Rebecca, Melinda (Howard), Jonathan, Marcus, Meagan, Sheila (Michael), Rachel (Randy), and Gabriel (Jenny); his nephews: Emmanuel, Nathanael, Justin, Elijah, Samuel, Tobias, Noah, Isaiah, and Isaac; his nieces: Melissa, Olivia, Fairlight, Erin, Sarah, Mercy, and Rebecca.

We are heartbroken to lose Chris, but are very thankful to know that he is with his Savior Jesus and we look forward to seeing him again.

Chris Riener's funeral will be at Emmanuel Baptist Church, 404 Foster Avenue, Cottonwood on Saturday, October 7, 2023 at 10:00 am. Burial to follow at Ferdinand Cemetery, and then dinner at Ferdinand Gym. Arrangements are under the direction of the Blackmer Funeral Home, Grangeville. Send condolences to the family at blackmerfuneralhome.com.

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