Eldon L. RICKER

RICKER, JEZEK, SCHAEFER, BROWN, BLACKSTUN, BICKFORD, SUEDMEIER, TATUM

Posted By: Sharon R Becker (email)
Date: 3/2/2009 at 19:41:07

Creston News Advertiser
Creston, Union County, Iowa
Wednesday, August 13, 2008

OBITUARY - ELDON L. RICKER

Eldon L. RICKER, 91, of Mount Ayr died Aug. 11, 2008, at Mount Ayr Health Care Center.

Services will be held 10:30 a.m. Thursday, Aug. 14, at Wilson-Watson and Armstrong Funeral Home, 205 W. Monroe St., Mount Ayr. The Rev. Karen Moore will officiate. Burial will be in Bohemian Cemetery near Diagonal. Visitation with the family present will be 6:30 to 8 p.m. Wednesday at the funeral home. Memorials may be directed to the Alzheimer’s Association.

Eldon RICKER, 91, passed away August 11 at the Mt. Ayr Health Care Center.

Eldon was born June 26, 1917 on a farm near Diagonal, Iowa, and was the only son of Edward and Rose (JEZEK) RICKER. On August 22, 1940, he married Darlene SCHAEFER. After farming on two Ringgold County farms, they purchased the RICKER home farm in 1947 and lived there until retiring to Mount Ayr in 1995.

Eldon was a farmer and a master mechanic. He could fix anything although his preference was Allis-Chalmers tractors. He worked for Mount Ayr Implement and custom baled for years. He was an expert on the Allis-Chalmers round baler and assisted the company by operating an experimental prototype baler in 1957. He also served as director on the ASCS, REC and Taygold Cooperative boards and was a Ringgold county assessor and weed commissioner. He enjoyed golf and was an avid member of the local senior golf tour.

Although Eldon never attended college, he was able to see his two children and six grandchildren all graduate with college degrees. He considered this a major family accomplishment. His motivation for learning began at an early age when he walked, ran, bicycled, rode a horse or drove 7 miles to and from high school in Mount Ayr.

He is survived by his wife, Darlene, daughter Karen (Ed) BROWN of Maryville, Mo., son Gene (Vicki) of Ankeny, Ia., six grandchildren, Mike (Regina) RICKER, Angela (Paul) BICKFORD, Heidi (Larry) BLACKSTUN, Amy (Jim) SUEDMEIER, Greg (Cathy) BROWN, and Rachel (Bart) TATUM, and twelve great grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents and one great-grandchild, Maximus TATUM.

Transcription by Sharon R. Becker, 2008