Joseph W. "Joe" Kriha

Joseph “Joe” William Kriha March 18, 1935 – January 5, 2022 We say goodbye to a husband, father, grandfather, brother, patriot and outdoorsman, who passed away at 86 on Wednesday, January 5 after living with Alzheimer’s and heart disease. COVID-19 was the final challenge in his last days. Joe was born in Heidelberg, Minnesota and grew up in nearby Montgomery and was proud to be a Czech American. He spoke Czech fluently thanks to his grandparents and made several trips to the Czech Republic including to the town of Bosilec where his Grandpa Matt was born in 1869. Industrious at a young age, he had a paper route, caught minnows for the local gas station and also worked at Green Giant in the summers as a code setter. After graduating from Montgomery High School in 1953, Joe served in the US Army Signal Corps from 1954-1956 during the Korean conflict. He was a proud graduate of Dunwoody Institute’s auto maintenance program that led him to a job in Hastings, Minnesota. He was our Mr. Fixit. He worked at 3M Chemolite in plant engineering for twenty-eight years. Joe married Rita Rynda in 1961 and together they raised four children. Our family cherishes the memories of many camping and travel adventures. The importance of family was central in our home, along with hard work and education. Joe and Rita traveled after retirement to the Czech Republic, British Columbia, Hawaii, Alaska and several other states. Joe was an avid sportsman and a lover of hunting, trap shooting (including coaching at Hastings High School) and fishing – a Joe Kriha fish fry was our favorite family meal! He was a strong advocate for wetlands preservation, knowing that the happier the wildlife, the happier the hunter. According to Joe, there was only one breed of hunting dog, Chesapeake Bay Retrievers and especially his last pal “My Gal Sal.” He also enjoyed the companionship of his hunting friends, biking and playing golf. He just loved music and was a wonderful singer and dancer. He and his future brother-in-law Don would travel around the Montgomery area going to dances. He sang in the church guitar choir at Guardian Angels Catholic Church, loved Anne Murray music and any waltz or polka. Music was a heartbeat in the family with Cynthia on the piano and everyone joining in song. And anyone who knew him enjoyed listening to a joke or two – he always had a “cute one” to share. We will sure miss his sense of humor and one-liners. He left a lasting impact on his seven grandchildren and extended family as he modeled the importance of family, faith, fun, humility, and so much more. We’ll be having a pivo for you Dad - Na Zdroví! Survived by his wife of 60 years, Rita, children Cynthia Kriha (James Eastman), Kathy Kriha (John Johnson), Tony (Jenny) Kriha and PK Kriha (Stuart Harris), grandchildren Jacob, Emmett, Lily, Tatum, Silas, Samuel and Jacques, sister Phyllis Vosejpka, brothers- and sisters-in-law, Don Rynda, Bob and Carol Rynda, Karen and Mike Duchene, cousins and many nieces and nephews. Preceded in death by his parents William and Rose, brother-in-law Stanley Vosejpka and sister-in-law Ruth Rynda. And his special four-legged pals Andy, Moe, Mame, Abby and Sal. Thank you to the amazing caregivers and staff at Prelude Memory Care in Woodbury and St. Croix Hospice. And his most important caregiver, his wife Rita. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Friday, March 18, 2022 at 11:00 AM at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church, 2035 15th St. W. in Hastings. A visitation will be held from 9:30-11:00 AM on Friday at church. Interment, Fort Snelling National Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorials preferred to: Ducks Unlimited - https://www.ducks.org/get-involved/memorial-giving https://www.ducks.org/get-involved/memorial-giving Prelude Ministries - https://preludeministries.org/donate/ or a charity of the donor’s choice.