The Fergus Falls Daily Journal

Allen Ricks, died Friday, Jan. 18, 2013, at Essentia Health in Fargo.

He was born April 10, 1954, in Fergus Falls, the son of Eugene and Valerie (Shearer) Ricks. He grew up on a farm southwest of Wendell, graduating from Elbow Lake High School in 1972. He then moved to Ketchikan, Alaska, residing with his aunt and uncle, Karen and John Roughton, where he worked at a parts house.

He returned to Minnesota and attended the University of Minnesota Crookston, obtaining his pilots license. Following his schooling, he returned to Wendell and farmed with his father and brothers.

On Sept. 4, 1976, he married Ellen Swift in Elbow Lake. Over the years, he held a variety of jobs: selling cars with his dad at Ricks Motors, a seed salesman, auto parts salesman and in 1993, he began employment with Otter Tail County where he was the supervisor of the Henning Transfer Station, a position he has held since.

On May 18, 1991, he married Jeri Henderson at Our Saviors Ten Mile Lake Lutheran Church in Dalton.

Allen enjoyed sports, especially football and baseball, was an avid NDSU Bison fan and MN Vikings fan. He also enjoyed deer hunting, reading Louis L’Amour westerns, and devouring the Fargo Forum and Minneapolis Star Tribune.

He was a history buff and enjoyed John Wayne movies. Allen had a big heart and loved his family, friends, grilling and eating.

Preceding him in death were his father, Eugene; a cousin, Earl Shearer; his father-in-law, Dean Henderson; and a sister-in-law, Peggy Olson.

Survivors include his wife, Jeri of Fergus Falls; three children, Kelly (Jeff) Peterson of Fargo, Lance (Molly) Ricks of Brooklyn Park and Blake Ricks and his girlfriend, Justine, of Fargo; two grandsons, Nathan James Peterson and Grant Allen Peterson; his mother, Valerie (Deloyd) Johnson of Ashby; two brothers, Randy (Karen) Ricks of Wendell and Gregg Ricks of Elbow Lake; his mother-in-law, Mavis Henderson of Dalton; sisters and brothers-in-law, Joan (Charles) Swendsrud, Debby (Glen) Gunderson and Julie Henderson all of Dalton and Chuck Olson of Brooklyn Park; numerous nieces and nephews; and a cousin Jolly Shearer of Atwater.

Visitation: Tuesday from 4 to 7 p.m., with a prayer service at 6:30 pm at the funeral home and one hour prior to the service at the church

Service: 1 p.m. Wednesday at Zion Sarpsborg Lutheran Church, Dalton

Clergy: Rev. Wes Moir

Burial: Ten Mile Lake Cemetery, Dalton

Funeral Home: Olson Funeral Home, Fergus Falls

Condolences may be sent online at www.olsonfuneralhome.com