Obituary of Orval E. Ricks

Orval E. Ricks Funeral services for Orval E. Ricks of St. Charles, MO, formerly of Winfield, MO, will be held at 11:00 a.m. Friday, March 23, 2007 at the Winfield Baptist Church in Winfield. Rev. Mike Ryan, church pastor, will officiate with burial in the Winfield Cemetery. Serving as pallbearers will be Chad Ricks, Clay Ricks, Alex Ruegg, Hayley Ruegg, Paul Thompson and Allen Ricks. Mr. Ricks, 93, died Tuesday morning, March 20, 2007 at Bethesda Meadows Nursing Home in Manchester, MO. Born January 1, 1914 in rural Lincoln County (near Troy), MO, he was the son of Albert Lee and Estelle Mary Vinyard Ricks. Raised in the Argentville area (near Winfield), he was a 1932 graduate of Winfield High School. He attended Hannibal LaGrange College where he participated in football, basketball and track. After his graduation, he returned to Winfield and operated his first business, a small confectionery. In 1935 he also served as a nighttime keeper during the construction of the Winfield Dam. In 1937 he was employed by Southwestern Bell Telephone Co. working out of Hannibal, MO, where he met his future wife. He was united in marriage on May 12, 1940 in Hannibal, MO to Patricia Adelyn Mabry. This union was blessed with two children, Daniel and Christy. When the country entered the war in the early forties, Mr. Ricks went to work at Atlas Chemical Co. making TNT. In 1943 he entered the military service as a Merchant Marine stationed at St. Petersburg, FL. Following the war, Orval and Patty returned to Winfield to operate the family business. In 1946 he was appointed to a five-member board to build a county hospital. Upon its completion and opening in 1953, Mr. Ricks was elected to serve on the Lincoln County Memorial Hospital Board of Directors. He was continuously re-elected to the Board for a total of forty years and served as Chairman for sixteen years. He was also instrumental in organizing the Winfield-Foley Fire District, and served as chairman for several years. He was the owner of Ricks Store (a grocery store and hardware store in connecting buildings) in downtown Winfield for more than forty years. He served his community as Mayor of the City of Winfield from 1946 until he moved outside the city limits in 1955. He was a member and past-president of the Winfield Senior Housing Association Board for several years. Mr. Ricks also served on the Board of Directors for the Winfield Banking Company until he retired in 1992. Other service of merit and distinction included serving as member and past-chairman of the State Board of Missouri Liquefied Gas Association, District Commissioner of the Missouri Boy Scouts, Financial Chairman of the first Youth Fair of Lincoln County, member of the Board of Directors of Bogey Hills Country Club for ten years, member and past-president of the Lincoln County Wildlife Club, lifetime member of the Winfield Baptist Church, fifty-year member of the Lincoln County Masonic Lodge #682 in Winfield, and a lifetime member of the United States Navy League. Following his retirement, he and Patty moved to St. Charles, MO. He was preceded in death by his parents, Albert and Estelle Ricks; two brothers: Nathan Ricks in 1998, and O'Garlan Ricks in 2005; two sisters: Beatrice East in 1998 and Wilma "Billie" Dailey in 2002; and his beloved wife of 62 years, Patricia "Patty" Ricks who died September 14, 2002. Survivors include one son, Daniel L. Ricks and his wife, June, of Bonita Springs, FL; one daughter, Christy G. Ruegg and her husband, Eric, of Manchester; four grandchildren: Chad Stephen Ricks and his wife, Brianne, of Dallas, TX, Clayton Tyler Ricks and his wife, Debbie, of St. Louis, Alex Patrick Ruegg and Hayley Elizabeth Ruegg, both of Manchester; and one great-grandson, Yale Eversmeyer. He also leaves three sisters-in-law: Helen (Mrs. Nathan) Ricks, and Kathryn (Mrs. O'Garlan) Ricks, both of Elsberry, MO, and Virginia Garrett and her husband, Harold, of Saverton, MO; several nieces, nephews, cousins, other relatives and friends. Visitation will be held from 4:00 - 8:00 p.m. Thursday, March 22, 2007 at Carter-Ricks Funeral Home near Winfield. Memorials may be made to the Winfield Baptist Church or to the Lincoln County Medical Center in care of Carter-Ricks Funeral Home, 3838 East Highway 47, P.O. Box 253, Winfield, MO 63389.