Jeanne Ricker

Jeanne (Savolainen) Ricker

Jeanne (Savolainen) Ricker, 75, of Pengilly passed away peacefully on Friday, December 15, 2017 at her home on Swan Lake.

Born January 18, 1942 in Grand Rapids, Minnesota, Jeanne was raised in Nashwauk, Minnesota under the loving guidance of George and her mother Mary Ann Zardo Williams. Jeanne was a 1960 graduate of Nashwauk High School. As Jeanne recorded in a Journal for Grandchildren, “As a girl my priorities were much the same as most my age: friends, fun, and fantasy”, including a passion for movies (especially those with her teenage idol James Dean) and music and dancing (especially artists such as Johnny Mathis, Nat King Cole, and The Platters).

On June 16, 1962 she married “the nicest boy”, Ken Ricker, at St. Cecilia’s Church in Nashwauk. They were able to live happily ever after for more than 55 years, raising their children in Hibbing, Minnesota, where Jeanne was a homemaker and a buyer at Hibbing Electronics before retiring to lake life in 1997 only 5 miles from her childhood home.

As she grew to adulthood, Jeanne’s priorities became “faith, family, and friends” and empathy and fairness were her core beliefs. As a lifelong avid reader, she learned about injustice, other cultures, and remained “always ready to learn”, stating that she was still learning from her children and grandchildren. Jeanne remained very active in the Catholic Church throughout her life. Her faith was constant and provided a great source of strength, optimism, and justice. Jeanne’s ability to be strong through any difficulty or hardship was an inspiration to all who knew her.

Jeanne lived for family, Ricker, Zardo, Savolainen, Williams and others. She was the heart of the family she created with Ken and their children, and she enjoyed cooking as an expression of her love. Jeanne’s family and extended family, including many close friends, could attest that her rigatoni could feed a crowd of any size. Her unbreakable bond with her grandchildren was formed over time spent Up North with Grandma and Papa.

Jeanne is preceded in death by her step father George Williams, mother Mary Ann Zardo Williams, and will be greatly missed by her husband Ken, her children Gina Ricker, David Ricker, Mary Cathryn (Rob Cudahy) Ricker; grandchildren Margaret Cudahy, Michael Cudahy, Jeremy Ricker; sisters Carol Ann (Terry) Maciej, Bunny (Tom) Sarago, Gayle (Milt) Verant; brother-in-law Sam (Judy) Ricker; sister-in-law Jean (Terry) McCollor; and treasured nieces, nephews, and cousins.

Services will be held 11:00 am Friday, December 22, 2017 at St. Cecilia’s Catholic Church in Nashwauk, Minnesota. The Rev. Fr. Seth Gogolin will celebrate the Mass of Christian Burial.  Visitation will take place from 9:30-11:00 am prior to service at the church on Friday. Interment will be in Maple Hill Cemetery of Hibbing.  In lieu of flowers please consider a donation to Angel Fund, PO Box 114, Hibbing, MN 55746 www.angelfundrange.org.  Arrangements are with the Dougherty Funeral Home of Hibbing.

To leave an online message of condolence for Jeanne, please visit us at www.doughertyofhibbing.com.