Delores Reilly

Funeral Services: Will be held on Friday, October 29, 2021, at the Steen Funeral Home in Massena at 10:00 a.m. with burial following in the Evergreen Cemetery in Anita, Iowa. A luncheon will follow the burial at the Buck Run Lodge, 75401 Eastland Road, Anita, Iowa. Pastor James Hansen will officiate the service. The Steen Funeral Home in Massena is in charge of the professional arrangements. 

Open Visitation: Friends may call at the Steen Funeral Home in Massena on Thursday, October 28, 2021, from 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. 

Family Visitation: The family will greet friends on Thursday, October 28, 2021, from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at the Steen Funeral Home in Massena. 

Memorials: Memorials may be directed to Delores “Dee” Reilly Memorial Fund to be established by the family. 

Delores Kay Reilly was born March 9, 1942, the daughter of Harold and Rachel (Sowers) Jensen in Audubon County, Iowa. She passed away on Sunday, October 24, 2021, at the age of 79.

Dee was raised on a farm in southern Audubon County with three brothers and one sister. She attended country school right across the road from their house, and graduated from Exira High School in 1960. Dee spent many years living and working in Des Moines before eventually moving back to the area.

On December 10, 1977, she was united in marriage to Thomas Reilly, and together they moved to an acreage south of Massena. Their daughter, Hollie, was born in 1981. On their acreage, Dee stayed home to raise their daughter and tended to many kinds of livestock--milking cows, birthing and bottling calves, feeding cattle and hogs, tending chickens, and handling horses. She also planted a large vegetable garden every year, from which she canned and preserved many jars of food. Soon she and Tom expanded their small farming operation to include crop and hay ground that she helped manage.

Dee eventually took a job in town, waiting tables at the livestock sale barn café on sale days, and waiting tables at the bar & grill on Main Street. During her years of waiting tables, she loved and was loved by her many customers. She also worked for some time at the grocery store, before deciding to finally retire.

Dee had a green thumb, and in addition to always planting a vegetable garden, she tended to a variety of flower beds and a collection of houseplants. She also enjoyed feeding and watching birds, and would be sure to fill her bird feeders daily. During the winter she liked to read, do word games, and put together puzzles. She also enjoyed going to craft fairs with friends, and watching Wheel of Fortune every evening.

She enjoyed getting together with her brothers to play Double Pinochle. Every family dinner was followed by many hours of cards as soon as the dishes could get cleared and washed. She enjoyed hosting these dinners, and especially looked forward to hosting a family picnic every 4th of July, complete with her famous fried chicken, potato salad, and coleslaw.

She is preceded in death by her father Harold (Shorty) Jensen, and survived by her husband, Tom Reilly of Massena, daughter, Hollie Reilly of Atlantic, mother Rachel Jensen of Exira, brothers Robert Jensen of Brayton, Jim Jensen of Elk Horn, and Charlie Jensen of Marne, sister Marilyn Dill of West Des Moines, many nieces and nephews, many friends, and her dog Gucci and calico cat, Annie.