Lena M. Fricke

Lena M. Fricke, 100, of Goshen, died on Monday, October 21, 2013 at Greencroft Goshen. She was born in Chicago, Illinois, on May 16, 1913, the eldest child of Jacob and Annie Swierenga Molter. She married Edward Fricke in Chicago on January 12, 1935. He predeceased her on June 10, 1942. Surviving are a daughter, Leanne (Ronald) Schertz of Peoria, Illinois, and a son, James Edward (Dorothy) Fricke of Lititz, Pennsylvania; five grandchildren, James Edward (Karen) Fricke II, Christine Fricke (Anthony) Traini, Robert (Julia) Fricke, Kathleen Schertz (Todd) Yoder and Suzanne Schertz (William) Denneen; thirteen great-grandchildren, and her brother, Jacob Molter Jr. of Bensonville, Illinois. In addition to her husband, she was predeceased by her parents, three sisters and five brothers. Prior to her marriage, she was employed by Continental Casualty Company in Chicago, Illinois. Following the death of her husband, she and her children moved to Goshen in 1945, where she worked at Goshen College, ultimately as secretary to President Paul Mininger. In 1959 she was employed by Menno Travel Service to manage the Goshen office of that company. In 1964 she was employed by Rieth-Riley Construction Company as executive secretary to the three Rieth brothers. She retired in 1979 and moved to Greencroft Goshen. She was raised and educated in the Dutch Reformed Church. She joined the Chicago Home Mission Mennonite church in 1935. Upon moving to Goshen in 1945, she became a member of the College Mennonite Church, where she was a life-long member of the Crusaders' Sunday school class. Cremation has been accorded, and burial of ashes will be at Forest Home Cemetery in Forest Park, Illinois, at a later date. Friends will be received 4 to 7 p.m. Friday in the Meethinghouse at Greencroft, Goshen, and one hour prior to the 10:30 a.m., service on Saturday in the Koinonia Room at College Mennonite Church, Goshen. Randy Roth, Greencroft Chaplain and Pastor Willie Kanagy, College Mennonite Church, will officiate. In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be made to the Greencroft Foundation, P. O. Box 819, Goshen, Indiana 46527-0819 or to College Mennonite Church.