Gladys Mae Rickers

Gladys Mae (Wiebers) Rickers, age 98, a citizen of Carroll County for nearly a century and beloved mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother passed away on Thursday morning, March 9, 2023 in Carroll, Iowa.
Funeral services will be held at 2 P.M. on Saturday, April 1, 2023 at Zion Lutheran Church in Arcadia with Pastor Ben Dose officiating.  Casket bearers will be Ty Henderson, Cole Henderson, Michael Rickers, Mitchel Rickers, Evan Henderson, and Ellis Henderson.   Burial will be in the Westside Cemetery.

Visitation will be held on Saturday, April 1, 2023 at Zion Lutheran Church in Arcadia from 12:30 – 1:45 P.M. prior to the funeral service.

In lieu of flowers, a memorial fund has been established in Gladys’ name for a later designation.

Funeral arrangements are under the direction of the Dahn and Woodhouse Funeral Home in Carroll and online condolences may be left for the family at www.dahnandwoodhouse.com

Gladys was born north of Arcadia at her parents’ farm home on November 4, 1924. She and her three older brothers, Andy, Dick and John, walked two miles one way to attend country school. As a young girl, “Glady”, as her friends called her, pitched softball for the Wheatland Farmerettes and set pins at her uncle’s bowling alley in Arcadia. Her brothers taught her how to walk a rail fence and dance. As it turned out, dancing was how Gladys met Merlin Rickers, who always described her dancing as “the best”.
Gladys and Merlin were married on September 17, 1946 and lived and farmed on the Rickers family farm between Westside and Arcadia on what then was called Lincoln Highway. Gladys and Merlin were on the family farm until 1989 when they moved to Arcadia.
Gladys’ life was always filled with learning, creating, and serving others. She taught Sunday School and Bible School at Zion Lutheran Church in Arcadia, and was an active member and officer in Ladies Aid and Lutheran Women’s Missionary League. She belonged to the Arcadia Extension Club. Gladys was an exceptional seamstress, creating many beautiful dresses and shirts as well as embroidered tea towels, crocheted doilies and tablecloths. She loved decorating cakes topped with the most beautiful “frosting roses”. Modeling her motto of “learning something new each day”, Gladys completed two crossword puzzles daily, wearing out reference books looking for possible answers, and she never refused a game of cards or an opportunity to play Scrabble or Rummikub.
Gladys Rickers spent all of her working years in and around Arcadia. She worked for the United States Postal Service for twenty years beginning in 1979. On March 28, 1986, she was appointed Postmaster at the Westside Post Office and served there until her retirement in 1999. She loved serving the public, always greeting her customers with a smile, candy on the counter and flowers on her desk. Gladys loved the Lord and would often tell her family, “God is always there for you now and always!”
Gladys was preceded in death by her husband Merlin; parents Andrew and Gertrude (Gerken) Wiebers; three brothers Andy, Dick, and Johnny; and son-in-law Tom Henderson.

She is survived by her daughter Cheryl J. Henderson of Burnet, TX and son Mark (Donna) Rickers of Westside; four grandsons Ty (Kate) Henderson of Austin, TZ, Cole (Kristin) Henderson of Austin, TX, Michael (Elizabeth) Rickers of Broomfield, CO and Mitchel Rickers of Westside; five great-grandchildren, Harrison Rickers and Evan, Ellis, Lenox and Estel Henderson. To her family Gladys was lovingly known as “Monny”. You never left Monny’s house without a cookie and a hug!