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BORN
1946
DIED
2022
FUNERAL HOME
Karen Ricketts Obituary
of Flushing, age 75, died Sunday, April 10, 2022, at the Landings of Genesee Valley. Funeral Mass will be 11 a.m. Monday, April 18, 2022, at St. John Vianney Catholic Church. Fr. Thomas Firestone will officiate. Visitation will be 10 a.m. Monday at the church until the time of the Mass at 11 a.m. A private burial will take place at Old Calvary Catholic Cemetery in Midland. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to St. Luke N.E.W. Life Center, 3115 Lawndale Ave. Flint, MI 48504. For those unable to attend Karen's service, please consider doing an Act of Kindness in her memory. Karen was born in Lima, Ohio, the daughter of Chester and Helen (Hartlieb) Ricketts. Karen graduated from Michigan State University and later earned her master's degree from Oakland University. She started her teaching career at St. Anthony's Catholic School in Auburn before coming to Flushing and spending the rest of her career with Flushing Community Schools. She was named Teacher of the Year in 2003 and throughout the years, stayed in contact with many of her former students. Karen was a faithful member of St. John Vianney Catholic Church. Karen was a favorite aunt with her nieces and nephews. She was an avid reader and enjoyed gardening with her dad and spending her summer vacations in South Carolina with her parents. Karen will be remembered by her generosity and love for all her many students. She is survived by her siblings, Kathleen and husband Raymond Aeschliman of Midland, Steven and wife Mary Ricketts of Higgins Lake, Timothy and wife Leslie Ricketts of Midland; nieces and nephews, Tammy and husband David Bruce, Jason Ricketts, Jamie Hartz, Brian and wife Brooke Fenske; great-nieces and nephews, Kyler, Lilli, Andrew, Isabel, Jeremy, Anthony; close friends, Kaye Brisson, Anita Vizena, Sharon Richards, Jamie Frechette; and many, many other dear friends. A heartfelt thank you to the staff and caretakers at the Landings of Genesee Valley and All-American Home and Health Hospice Care, especially nurses Char Midock and Nicole Winston.
To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.
Memories and Condolences
for Karen Ricketts
5 Entries
Robin Shomin Rogers
May 10, 2022
I too was lucky to have Miss Ricketts for 6th grade at Crouse. She obviously impressed a lot of us! I have fondly remembered her through the years and was ecstatic when she emailed me several years back. I quickly gave her a run down of my life and thanked her for her contribution to it. Sadly I was not sure if she ever received my email in return. I was very sad to see she passed but was happy she lived a long life full of happiness around her from classmates and family. I still remember her singing to and consoling me as I wept over a lost boyfriend, "You always hurt the one you love."
Dennis Loje
April 18, 2022
Miss Ricketts was my 6th grade teacher in 1976 at Crouse Elementary in Flushing, MI. She was the best teacher I ever had and after 4.5 decades later is one of the most influential people in my life. I can't tell you how much I enjoyed my 6th grade class. She was a huge MSU fan and my dad was a ND grad and I still remember each football season my dad and Miss Ricketts would tease each other about football.
There was a poem that year in 1976 that Miss Ricketts made the class memorize and then make a plaque of this poem and give it to a loved one.
Well my memorization skills were not the best in 6th grade (and even today they are not much better as I still don't even know my wife's cell phone number!) but after some time I was finally able to memorize that poem she taught us.
To this day, I still remember that poem "You give but little when you give of your possessions, it is when you give of yourself that you truly give." That poem has been my inspiration over the years in my several volunteer activities and mission trip I have lead or been a part of.
At the end of each event, I give credit to Miss Ricketts for making me memorize that poem but more importantly to "live that poem".
In 2009, I was honored by the Cincinnati United Way with a community service award. After the ceremony, I was presented with a picture - included in the picture was the poem that I had to memorize in 1976 and has been my guiding light ever since.
Thank you Miss Ricketts for being such an inspiration in my life and a friend since 1976. Until we meet again-God Bless and Go Green!
Robert Jerichow
April 17, 2022
The most impressionable human being to ever touch my life. 6th grade. Crouse Elementary. Great memories of a wonderful person will never fade.
Linda Bolhuis
April 13, 2022
Thank you for encouraging my love of reading, which began in "The Eager 80" class. You made an incredible positive impact on me and I am forever grateful. God bless you with peace ever after.
Bob, Karen, Jennifer & Kristy
April 13, 2022
We are so sorry for your loss of such a nice person. Karen was a wonderful kindergarten teacher for our daughter. May she rest in peace. God Bless.
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