Gretchen Elizabeth Rivers

2006 - 2018

Gretchen Elizabeth Rivers

 

 

Gretchen Elizabeth Rivers went home to be with her Lord Jesus

on November 29th, 2018 after a hard fought battle with cancer

over the last 18 months. 

 

Smart, driven and spunky, Gretchen was born May 10th, 2006 in Maplewood, MN.  The first 11 years of her life were marked by laughter and joy.  She made friends easily and naturally included people into her circle.  Gretchen attended Otsego Elementary and Prairie View Elementary and Middle School and was in the 7th Grade.  She was on Student Council in 4th and 5th grade and Leadership Team in 7th grade.  Gretchen loved school and wanted to be a teacher.  Gretchen loved the Lord and going to church.  She loved to read and was often found with a book in her hands, no matter where she was.  She loved cats, nature, dancing, her friends, school (math in particular), popcorn, The Office, music box music, and guacamole. Gretchen loved, loved, loved to watch musicals with her sister Rachel, which typically led to immediate reenactments afterwards.

Her heart for the other people in her life, especially other kids she met at Children’s Hospital on the oncology floor, was apparent to everyone who knew her.  Gretchen had a way of saying the right thing at the right time to the right person, uplifting and lending her strength to others.  Gretchen was known for always smiling, every single day, and looking for the best in every situation and person.  Even through two separate sets of radiation treatments and three different chemotherapy protocols (basically on weekly and often times daily chemo treatments for 16 out of the last 18 months), she never complained, whined, blamed someone, had a bad attitude or made things hard.  She took everything in stride with a smile on her face, determination set in her shoulders, and a confidence that everything would be ok, even when the cancer took her sight, her hearing, and finally her speech.  Gretchen was the strongest individual person we’ve ever met, who showed the love of God through her life lived, not a life lost.

Gretchen is survived by her loving parents, Bob and Mari (Hulteen) Rivers.  She and her brothers and sister, Jaden, Rachel and Lucas, didn’t have a typical sibling relationship; they were all best friends, spending the vast majority of their time together.  Gretchen loved her grandparents Jim and Darlene Hulteen and Curt and Vicki Rivers, wanting to spend as much time with them as possible.  Gretchen is also survived by aunts and uncles Jeremy Hulteen, Peter and Corrie Rivers, Heidi and Amos Beernink and Barb and Dan Cone.; cousins Evie Hulteen, Andrew, Hannah, Evan and Shawn Beernink, Julia, James, Jennifer and Jessica Cone,  and John, Luke and Mark Gintz; and by her best friend, Bethany Gendreau.  Gretchen is preceded in death by her aunt, Suzanne Elizabeth Hulteen.

Visitation is on Sunday December 9th from 4pm-7pm at Dare’s Funeral & Cremation Services 805 Main St. NW  in Elk River, MN.

Celebration of life service is being held at noon on Monday, December 10th at Central Lutheran Church 1103 School St. NW  in Elk River, MN (officiated by Pastor Roger Olsen from Living Word Christian Center) with visitation starting an hour ahead of the service and a coffee and cake reception afterwards. Arr. Dare’s Funeral Home 763-441-1212 www.daresfuneralservice.com

Isaiah 49:13

Shout for joy, you heavens; rejoice, you earth; burst into song, you mountains! For the LORD comforts his people and will have compassion on his afflicted ones.