Edward W. Rike

Funeral arrangements for Ed are pending at this time.
Edward William Rike died Monday morning, July 31, 2023, quietly at home after many years of living with Parkinson's disease. He was born July 8, 1948 in Forest City, Iowa to Emma (Falk) and William Rike. At home, two older sisters, Marilyn Rike and Clara Eisenmann enjoyed their little brother, on a small rural farm near Woden, Iowa. Ed attended school in Woden and Crystal Lake, graduating from high school in 1966. After high school he attended Iowa State University.
Shortly after earning his college degree, he was drafted into the Army and served in the Vietnam War as a Clerk Typist from January 1971 to April 1972. He returned home to help his dad on the farm. In the fall of 1975, he met Betty Turner, and they were married on July 9, 1977. Of their 46 years of marriage, they lived most of it on the same small farm that Ed grew up on. Two daughters were born to their union and raised on the farm: Joann and Amy. Excluding two and a half years in Garden City, Kansas, Ed and Betty worked on the farm until the early 1990's. When farming was difficult to make a living with, he began working at Winnebago as an inspector. The work was made more enjoyable by a good friend, whom he worked with for several years. Ed retired from Winnebago in 2006.
On the farm, Ed enjoyed the quiet work of raising poultry and pigs. He especially loved his unusual breeds of chickens. Flowers and plants brought him much joy. In his special garden he grew a plethora of unique and interesting plants. Often, he would bring many plants back to life that others had given him. During the everyday days of life Ed enjoyed sharing little jokes and puns around the supper table. When Betty made the simple meal of her wonderful fried chicken with mashed potatoes and gravy, he was happy. He would help his daughters with their homework and later help Amy with her quilts.
After the farm became too difficult to take care of with Parkinson's, Ed and Betty moved to Coeur d'Alene to be closer to family. Ed's last year was spent in a small house in Post Falls, Idaho, with many of his plants, while his wife helped care for him. His quiet, content spirit will be missed. Ed chose to serve God when he was 26 years old and was true to that choice to the end of his life.
He is missed by his wife of 46 years, Betty (Turner) Rike; daughter Joann (Brandon) Krisher of Coeur d'Alene, Idaho; daughter Amy (Noland) Norris of Stratton, Colorado; grandchildren: Alawna Krisher, Keesha Krisher, Keanna Krisher, Traiten Krisher, Iron Norris and Azalea Norris, and many nieces, nephews, and cousins.
Ed was preceded in death by his parents, William and Emma Rike; sisters, Clara Eisenmann, Marilyn Rike, and Elvira Rike.