Wednesday, October 22nd, 2014
Rilla Ripley
Rilla Bernice Ripley, 90, Van Wert, died Oct. 18, 2014, in Van Wert.
She was born June 9, 1924, on her family's farm near Willshire, to H.L. and Goldie Hileman Putman. On Aug. 4, 1944, she married LaVerne T. Ripley, who died Nov. 13, 1992.
Surviving are two children, James D. (Pam) Ripley, Mesa, Ariz., and Vicki L. (Mark) Riggs, Dublin; four grandchildren, Rebecca Ripley, Andrew (Aimee) Ripley, Katy Riggs and Julia Riggs; and numerous nieces and nephews.
Also deceased are three brothers, Meredith Putman, Max Putman and Jacob Putman, and two sisters, Chloris Becker and Patricia Joan Lucas.
She was a farm girl, a farm wife, homemaker, mother and grandmother. She spent most of her adult life on LaVerne's and her farm on Jordan Road, west of Rockford. When living alone in a big farmhouse became too burdensome and risky to her declining health, she moved to Van Wert where neighbors and Dr. Matt Miller's family adopted her.
She adored children and they adored her for nurturing, inspiring and having faith in them. Grandchildren sometimes likened a week at Grandma's as a boot camp on manners.
She believed in hospitality, a well-kept home, straight corn rows and a cup of black coffee filled to the very brim. She found joy in seeing the wind ripple through a ripening field of wheat, in working in her flower garden and in seeing the year's first big snowfall.
As age was making a final raid on her strength and life, she uttered to no one in particular that she longed to be pitching hay.
Funeral services are 10 a.m. Saturday at Ketcham-Ripley Funeral Home, Rockford, Dr. Matthew Miller officiating. Burial is in Riverside Cemetery, Rockford.
Calling is 4-8 p.m. Friday and 9-10 a.m. Saturday at the funeral home.
Condolences may be expressed at www.ketchamripley.com.
