Reid L. Riner, formerly of Hill City, SD, died Friday, March 2, in a traffic accident near Phoenix, AZ.

Reid was born in Wichita, KS on Aug. 24, 1966. He graduated from Rapid City Stevens High School, and then obtained a degree in History at the University of South Dakota in 1988. He graduated with his Master’s Degree in Public History from Arizona State University at Tempe in 1993.

Reid worked for the Salt River Project in Arizona from 1988-92, and then at the headquarters of UHaul in Phoenix, where he met his future wife, Terri Lake, from 1994-2004. They were married in 1995. Their son Mitchell was born in 1997, and the couple moved to the Black Hills in 2004 when Reid became director of the Minnilusa Historical Association, one of the collections at the Journey Museum & Learning Center in Rapid City. There he touched many lives around Rapid City and the Black Hills, becoming a recognized authority on the history of the region. He was generous with his time and always ready to share what he knew as a frequent speaker for local civic and historical groups. He coached baseball in Hill City, and served on the board of directors for the Boys and Girls Club of the Black Hills in Hill City.

In 2015 Reid and Terri purchased a home in Marana, AZ near Terri’s parents’ home. Terri started teaching nearby and Reid joined her in Arizona in 2017, less than a year before his untimely death.

Reid is survived by his wife and son; his parents Al and Linda Riner (formerly of Rapid City, SD, now of Kerrville, TX); his sister Camille Riner, brother-in-law Paul Horsted and niece Anna Marie Riner of Custer, S.D.; his grandmother Anne Loggie of Kerrville, TX; his mother-in-law and father-in-law Joan and Dan Christensen; and many aunts, uncles and cousins.

No public services are planned according to the wishes of the family.

Memorials in Reid’s memory may be made to the Minnilusa Historical Association, 222 New York St., Rapid City, SD 57701. Condolences sent to the Minnilusa will be forwarded to Reid’s family.