Harlan John Rickers Obituary (1958 - 2019)

Harlan John Rickers was born on June 27, 1958, to Irvin and Matilda (Meints) Rickers at the Lutheran Hospital in Beatrice, Nebraska. He lived with his parents on the family Dairy Farm south of Wymore, Nebraska during his childhood and remained living on the same farm his entire life. While he was growing up, Harlan and his brother, Gene, had the honor and privilege to have their grandparents, John and Angie Rickers, live just up the sidewalk from them in the home that Harlan resided in at the time of his death. Harlan dearly enjoyed the farm and the dairy cattle associated with it. Harlan and Gene also spent a great deal of time with their Grandpa Meints; aunts, Antje & Marie Meints, and their aunt and uncle Willie and Annie Meints and their family. Many times were spent over the years spending time with the Rickers and Meints relatives. In the later years of Aunt Marie, Aunt Antje, and Aunt Anna's life, Harlan and Gene spent a great deal of time with them since they were elderly and needed assistance from time to time. Harlan was received into the Kingdom of God through the Sacrament of Holy Baptism at St. John's Lutheran Church at rural Barneston, Nebraska on July 13, 1958, with the Pastor Herbert Shauer officiating. He was a charter member and current member of Our Savior's Lutheran Church in Wymore, Nebraska. He confirmed his Christian Faith through the Rite of Confirmation on June 10, 1973, with the Pastor John Ross officiating. His confirmation verse was John 3:16, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, so that whoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." He attended all his K-12 education at Wymore Public Schools which later became known during his school years as Southern Public Schools. He graduated from Southern High School in 1976. After graduation he attended Southeast Community College on a part-time basis and took many accounting courses which would impact him the rest of his life. In 1987, Harlan met a daughter of a dairy farmer who eventually became the love of his life. On April 8, 1989, he was united in Holy Marriage to Raeshelle J. Forney at the United Methodist Church in Fairbury, Nebraska with the Pastor Dennis Davenport, Pastor Gerald Buss, and Pastor John Dale officiating. This union was blessed with two children, Curtis James in 1990 and Angela Jo in 1992. After his marriage to Raeshelle, they resided on the family dairy farm south of Wymore their entire married life and at which he resided following her death until his death this past Wednesday. He actively participated in the life on the dairy farm and instilled in his children the love for dairy cattle and the farm. Harlan was often times called the "Wymore Area Bookkeeper" because of all the bookkeeping he did for various businesses in the Wymore community. He was the bookkeeper for the Wymore American Legion from 1998 until the time of his death, the Wymore Country Club from 2004 until the time of his death, the Wymore Housing Authority Executive Director for Hilltop Lodge from 2007 until the time of his death, and the Wymore Lumber Company from 2010 until the time of his death. He was also very active in serving the Southern Public Schools throughout the years. He was a Board of Education Member from 1992-2004. He then served again from 2009 until the time of his death. He served as Treasurer and Vice President of the Board several times throughout his 20+ years on the Board. He also received numerous state awards while serving on the Southern Board of Education. He also served on the Southern Public Schools Foundation's Board of Directors since 1990 and has been president of the Foundation for over 20 years and still was serving in that capacity at the time of his death. Harlan was an active member of Our Savior's Lutheran Church his entire life and served as treasurer of the Church from July 1987 until the time of his death. He also served as choir director over the course of the years. Harlan and Raeshelle served as Luther League Sponsors for Our Savior's from the time of their marriage in 1989 until 2005. During their tenure as sponsors they took the youth on several trips, and throughout the years and it was not uncommon for the youth to stop by their home on Friday or Saturday evenings and spend the evening with them. The Luther League youth were truly an inspiration to Harlan, Raeshelle, and their children. Harlan also actively attended Zion Lutheran Church at rural Pickrell, Nebraska over the past years and sang with the Zion's Men's Choir and the Zion's Praise Team. Harlan was an extremely dedicated husband to his late wife, Raeshelle, and a loving and faithful father to his two children and son-in-law, and a wonderful grandfather to his granddaughter, Emmalynn Raeshelle. While his children were in high school and college, he attended all their sporting and music events and was an extremely active member of the Southern High School Music Boosters. After the death of his wife, Raeshelle, in March 2015, Harlan kept busy with his many activities and friends. He found special friendship with Ernie & Renee Hroch and their family, Jim and Ellen Zvolanek, Loren & Maxine Trauernicht, and Scott & Denielle Trauernicht and their girls. He also kept busy by singing with the Zion Lutheran Church's Men's Choir and Praise Team. He considered members of both choirs as his close friends and family. Even with all his activies and friendships, he could never get over the hurt of losing the love of his life, Raeshelle. On May 15, 2019, Harlan was called home to his heavenly rest at the age of 60. Those left to mourn his earthly passing are his two beloved children, Curtis James Rickers of Wymore, and Angie Jo Blecha and her husband, Tim of Tecumseh; granddaughter, Emmalynn Raeshelle of Tecumseh; brother Gene H. Rickers of Wymore; mother-in-law, Shirley Forney of Fairbury; two sisters-in-law, Janelle Whitehead and her husband Steve of Holmesville and Carrie Haake and her husband Lawrence of Plymouth; niece, Niticia Haake of Topeka, KS; and two nephews, L.J. Haake of Omaha and Tyler Haake of Beatrice; cousins, Yvonne Meints of Indianapolis, IN and Kay Meints and her family of East Lansing, MI. He is also survived by his best friend, Ernie Hroch and wife Renee of Diller and their entire family; and other extremely close friends Jim and Ellen Zvolanek, Loren and Maxine Trauernicht, and Scott and Denielle Trauernicht and their girls all of Wymore. He also leaves behind a host of extended family and friends. He was preceded in death by his wife, Raeshelle on March 21, 2015; parents, Irvin & Matilda Rickers; grandparents, John & Angie Rickers and Heye & Mary Meints; infant brother, Eldon Rickers. He was also preceded in death by his father-in-law, Raymond Forney and Aunts, Antje and Marie Meints and uncle and aunt Willie & Anna Meints; and one cousin Vernon Meints. Funeral services will be held at 10:30 AM on Tuesday, May 21, 2019 at Our Savior's Lutheran Church in Wymore with Reverend Suzanne How and Reverend Jerry Gilbreath officiating. Burial will be at the Our Savior's (St. John) Cemetery, R. Barneston. The body will lie in state Monday from 10 AM to 9 PM at the Laughlin-Hoevet Funeral Home in Wymore with family greeting relatives and friends from 6-8 PM, and at the church one hour prior to the service on Tuesday. A memorial has been established to the church as well as the Southern High School Music Boosters, and Our Savior's (St. John's) Cemetery with Loren and Maxine Trauernicht and Shirley Martin in charge. Sign Harlan's online register book and view his video tribute at www.ghchapel.com. These services have been entrusted to the Laughlin-Hoevet Funeral Home in Wymore.