Ingrid M. Grant

Ingrid M. Grant, age 86, longtime resident of Merrimac, passed away peacefully Sunday morning, July 27, 2025, at Avita of Newburyport. She was predeceased by her beloved husband, Richard, with whom she shared 61 years of marriage until his passing in 2021.

Born in Germany, October 4, 1938, she was the daughter of the late Artur and Marta (Orzechowski) Flucht. A child of war, Ingrid would later reflect that the best years of her childhood occurred after relocating to the peaceful and picturesque countryside of Worpswede; her upbringing in the artisan village fostered a lifelong enthusiasm for handicrafts and the outdoors. During her school years, she developed a lasting fondness for languages and geography. On her way home from school, she would often gather fruit, and she even learned to swim during a class field trip.

After finishing school, she worked as a bank teller and then a medical records clerk for the U.S. ARMY, until she met an American soldier while dancing at the local town tavern. After meeting Richard, she soon emigrated to the United States. They were married in Richard’s home town Merrimac. After their daughter was born, Ingrid was most notably a homemaker and mother, though she also worked in the Newburyport shoe industry and later in sales at Sears in Methuen.

With her husband, she traveled stateside and abroad, delighting in Oktoberfests, hot air balloon festivals, and nature. Ingrid loved socializing —especially with those who shared her cultural heritage—and often cooked and baked for others as a way to connect. In addition to being proficient in ballroom dancing, Ingrid enjoyed knitting, sewing, cross-stitching, and often gifted or donated her creations. She stayed close to her family in Germany through letters, visits, and phone calls and became a proud dual citizen upon naturalization in 2008.

Her passionate nature was most strongly evident in her commitment to her grandchildren. She made an effort to provide care, home cooked meals, and hugs whenever possible. She and her husband would include their grandchildren on travels in their motor coach, poolside cookouts, and during visits to their favorite wintering spot near Siesta Key Beach, in Sarasota, FL, introducing them to alligators and manatees.

She leaves behind her loving grandchildren, Jill Kivikoski, Kendra Mayall, Aaron Kivikoski and Alexander Kivikoski; her sister, Dora Einbund and husband David, along with several nieces and nephews, extended family and dear friends. In addition to her parents, she is predeceased by her only child, Petra S. Kivikoski, and her brother Erhardt Flucht.

An hour of visitation will be held Saturday, August 2, 2025 from 9 A.M. to 10 A.M. at Paul C. Rogers Family Funeral Home, 36 West Main Street, Merrimac, immediately followed by Funeral Services at the funeral home at 10 A.M., with burial at Locust Grove Cemetery, Merrimac. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to AgeSpan and the Merrimack Valley Food Bank.