Phyllis Ann Rekken

Phyllis Ann Tessier was born on April 18, 1940, at St. John’s Hospital in Fargo, ND. She was the seventh of ten children born to Donat and Marion (Sauvageau) Tessier. She grew up on the family farm located a mile east of Horace on the east half section of 17 in Stanley Township.

Phyllis attended elementary and junior high at St. Joseph’s school in the village of St. Benedict’s in Wild Rice; and in 1958 moved to Fargo where she worked as a waitress at the Grave inn for five years.

She married Ronald Rekken on May 9, 1964, and they went on to have two children, Kim and Blaine. They lived for a time in Fargo and West Fargo until eventually moving their family to the old Rekken farmstead south of Horace where they have lived together since November of 1974.

Phyllis worked as head cook for the Horace Elementary School for 25 years before her retirement. In her younger years, Phyllis enjoyed playing catch with a softball with Ron in the backyard. Mom had a good arm and would have been an excellent softball player. She also enjoyed listening to music and watching all the great detective shows of the 60s and 70s. Phyllis and Ron enjoyed attending NDSU girls’ basketball games, Kindred Viking boys’ basketball games, and the FM RedHawks at Newman Outdoor Field as well as watching Minnesota Viking football and NDSU football. Phyllis also enjoyed playing cards, dice games, Bingo at the Horace Senior Center, and the occasional trip to Dakota Magic Casino.

Phyllis and Ron were blessed with four grandchildren and were fortunate enough to be a part of their lives and watched them all grow to adulthood. They attended as many of their various school/church functions and events as they possibly could. Ron and Phyllis recently celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary with their family in May of 2024.

Phyllis passed on from this earthly existence on June 12, 2025, at the Hospice House at Sanford and is now in Heaven with Jesus and all her loved ones who passed on before her. The one great thing that mom did in her life was to make sure that her children knew who Jesus was and that we all understood that we not only had an earthly father but a heavenly Father as well. She brought us up in the Catholic faith and gave us a good foundation for how to be a good Christian. Her faith in God was always important to her. May the Lord God credit to her account as righteousness.

Phyllis is survived by her husband Ron; children Kim (Chuck) Masten of Horace and Blaine (Judy) Rekken of Mayville; her sisters Audrey Offner of Fargo and Margie Compton of Portland, Oregon; grandchildren Daniel Peterson, Shaina (Charlie) Pentz, Aaron Rekken, and Mikayla Rekken; sisters-in-law, Sherry Rekken of Fargo, Linda (Wayne) Rekken of West Fargo, and Elaine (Arnold Tessier) Tschakert of Horace, as well as many nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Donat and Marion, her siblings and in-laws, Myrtle (Allan) Anderson, Roy Tessier, Darlene (Roy) Albin, Norman Tessier, Lucille (Wendolyn) Roerich, Murray Tessier, and Arnold Tessier; brother-in-law, Wayne Rekken; and mother and father-in-law Mildred and Johnny Rekken.