Julianna Marie Rice, 84, of Oakdale, MN died Monday, October 5, 2015 at Regions Hospital, St. Paul, MN. Her funeral will be 10:30 a.m. Saturday, October 10, 2015 at Our Savior's Lutheran Church in Redfield. Pastor LeShea Avery will officiate. Burial will be in Greenlawn Cemetery in Redfield. Visitation will be Friday from 4-7:30 p.m. with the family present from 6-7:30 p.m. at Thelen Funeral Home in Redfield. www.thelenfuneralhome.com

On June 29, 1931, Julianna Marie Jessen was born on her parent's farm in Spink County near Redfield to Peter Christian & Anna Julia (Johnson) Jessen. Julianna was the third of seven children born to the Jessens. She was baptized and confirmed at Our Saviors Lutheran Church.

She grew up in the Spink County area and loved singing, dancing, sewing, reading, cooking and big family gatherings for the holidays.
Julianna was married September 18, 1949 to Richard Samuel Rice of Rockham, SD. They were married 25 years and had six children together (Raymond, Randy, Rita, Russell, Rodney and Rochelle). They farmed near Rockham and later moved to Redfield.

Julianna worked at the telephone company in Redfield until the family moved to Mitchell, SD in 1966, where the children grew up and attended Mitchell schools. In Mitchell, she worked at the YMCA as receptionist, The Daily Republic as a wire editor, the Courts CafAC. as a waitress and the Holiday Inn as a receptionist. She attended Dakota Wesleyan University while working and taking care of her family's needs.

Julianna moved to Sioux Falls, SD and worked as a secretary to an insurance adjuster. This work took her to Chicago, IL. When that job ended she found work with an eye clinic until she married Eugene Pietz from Tripp, SD. They lived in Tripp until Eugene died 3 years later.

After a short time in Sioux Falls, SD, Julianna moved to St. Paul, MN to be near her youngest daughter, Rochelle. She attended medical secretary school and became a Certified Medical Transcriptionist, her true passion found at last. After she obtained her degree, she worked for Health Partners until she retired at 67A½.

Julianna was a long time member of Women of the Moose and The Lions Club. She loved singing in the choir at Beaver Lake Lutheran Church, St. Paul, MN. She made many trips back to S.D. to visit family and friends. She met a good friend Lee Naaken after retirement and they went on many cruises including the Caribbean Islands, Hawaii, Panama Canal, Europe and Denmark. They spent 3 years enjoying each other's company until Lee died in St. Paul, MN.

Julianna is survived by her children: Russell (Pam) Rice of Deadwood, SD; Rodney (Vachal) Rice of Custer, SD and Rochelle (Brett) Rasmussen of St. Paul, MN. She also has 12 grandchildren, 18 great grandchildren, 2 sisters: Ida (Dean) Orton, Salem, OR and Arlene (Howard) Bich, Sioux Falls, SD and in-laws: Ruth Jessen, Barbara & Roger Appel, Cleone Rice, Marie Preston, Millie Hall of Redfield, LaClede Rice of California and Warren & June Rice of Mitchell, SD.

She is preceded in death by her parents, her son Randy who died while in the service, her daughter Rita Hobart, her son Raymond at infancy and her siblings: Russell, Elaine, Donald, and Wayne.