Ina J. Ricks

Ina Jean Ricks passed away peacefully on Wednesday, September 23, 2026, at Grand Arbor Gardens South, surrounded by her loving family.

Ina Jean Pikop was born on January 23, 1933, to Iner and Joyce Pikop of Elbow Lake, Minnesota. She graduated from Elbow Lake High School and went on to attend St. Cloud State University for one year. She then returned to Elbow Lake, where she worked at a local bank.

It was in Elbow Lake that Jean met the love of her life, Jerome Ricks. After a roller-skating date in Barrett, Jerome told his mother the very next morning that Jean was the woman he was going to marry. His prediction came true. Jean and Jerome were married on December 30, 1951, at First Lutheran Church in Elbow Lake, Minnesota.

Together, Jean and Jerome farmed and built a home in Delaware Township, where they raised their four children: Susan, Kathryn, David, and Nancy.

Family was at the heart of Jean’s life. She loved her grandchildren and great-grandchildren deeply, and that love was returned just as deeply. She treasured family visits, time together, and the Ricks family reunions they shared throughout the years. Her family brought her tremendous joy, and she cherished every opportunity to be surrounded by those she loved.

Jean is survived by her children, Susan (Steven) Davidson of Alexandria, Minnesota; David (Kathy) Ricks of Sioux Falls, South Dakota; and Nancy (Richard) Keller of Edina, Minnesota.

She is also survived by her nine grandchildren: Chad Wegner, Shelly Soltis, Kasey Pommer, Gabriel White, Abigail Janis, Brandon White, Elizabeth Crockett, Christopher Ricks, and Zachary Keller.

Her eleven great-grandchildren are Armin and Edric Wegner; Hudson and Graham Soltis; Saro Crockett; Gage and Brady Pommer; Brantley White; and Caleb, Ariel, and Olive Janis.

Jean was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Jerome Ricks; her daughter, Kathryn Ricks; and her grandson, Nathan Keller.

Jean was a loving, kind, and faithful woman whose faith guided her throughout her life and shone through in everything she did and every conversation she had. Even in her later years, her faith remained at the center of who she was.

Nursing home staff would often ask her, “Jean, how can you always be so happy?” Her answer was always the same:

“Because I have Jesus in my heart.”

Those words perfectly captured Jean’s spirit. Her faith, kindness, warmth, and unwavering love for her family will remain in the hearts of all who knew and loved her. She leaves behind a beautiful legacy of love, family, and faith that will live on through generations.