Martha Ricker

Martha Ricker, 55, of Mount Ayr died Tuesday, Nov. 14, 2017, at Ringgold County Hospital in Mount Ayr.

Funeral services will be 2 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 18, at First Christian Church in Mount Ayr with the Rev. Bill Armstrong officiating. Burial is in Rose Hill Cemetery in Mount Ayr. Open viewing will be from noon to 8 p.m. Friday, Nov. 17, at the church with family present from 5 to 8 p.m. A memorial fund has been established in her name to be decided later. Armstrong Funeral Home, 205 W. Monroe St., in Mount Ayr is in charge of the arrangements. Online condolences may be left at www.armstrongfh.com.

Martha, daughter of Denzil and Socorro (Ramirez) Waugh, was born Feb. 28, 1962, in Des Moines. Martha graduated from Mount Ayr High School. After high school, Martha went to University of Iowa as a pre-med student, while working full-time at University of Iowa Hospital on a neurosurgery floor. After two years at UI, she decided that pre-med might not be the direction she wanted to go. In the summer of 1990, Martha graduated as a registered nurse.

On Aug. 3, 1985, Martha married Brent Ricker at the United Methodist Church in Mount Ayr. Brent and Martha moved to Phoenix, Arizona. In August 1997, Martha and Brent returned to Iowa. Martha worked at Ringgold County Hospital for 20 years in the surgery department.

Martha is survived by her husband Brent Ricker; children, Jessie, Jake and Joe Ricker; brother Eugene (Linda) Waugh; parents-in-law, Bob (Lucy) Ricker; brothers-in-law, Bobby (Pam) Ricker and Bruce (Michell) Ricker; and nieces and nephews, Dana (Matt) Churchill and son Jackson, Jaren (Randi) Ricker and children Evelyn, William and Hudson, Blake Ricker and Lindsay Ricker.

Martha was preceded in death by her grandparents, Clyde and Clara Belle Waugh and Maria Ramirez and parents, Denzil and Socorro Waugh.