Ina Wicks, 89, of Brookings, formerly of Nunda, died on Thursday, July 26, 2018, at the United Living Community in Brookings.
Funeral services are at 10:30 a.m. on Monday, Aug. 6, at Grace Lutheran Church in Nunda with the Rev. Phillip Hofinga officiating. Visitation is 2-4 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 5, at Weiland Funeral Chapel in Madison with a prayer service at 4 p.m. Visitation will continue on Monday one hour prior to the service at the church. Burial is in the Prairie Queen Cemetery.
Ina Ruth Wicks was born on July 15, 1929, to Lawrence and Borghild (Brusveen) Holte at the Holte residence near Nunda and was the third of four children with Margaret and Martin as older siblings, and Patricia as her younger sister. In her childhood, Ina attended the Lommen School and much of her youth was spent on the farm where she helped her mom in the house and spent time outdoors working in the garden and feeding animals. She was particularly fond of her ponies, Mayflower, Nita, Valentine, and Jewel. Her freshman year she transferred to Rutland High School. After graduation, Ina moved to New Jersey, where she lived until 1950. She worked at Westinghouse Lamp Factory in Bloomfield and Florescent Products in Newark, and in her free time, she frequently attended the movies in which she cataloged in a notebook to look back on and show her children.
In 1950, Ina moved to Sioux Falls and would frequently visit her aunt and uncle in Montrose, where she met her husband, Amos.
They were married on Feb. 16, 1952, at Sioux Falls. They moved back to Montrose where they lived for two years and had their first child. In 1954, the family moved to Nunda where Amos started a farming operation, and Ina had the pride of being a farmer’s wife and loving mother. In Nunda, Amos and Ina farmed together and had three more children.
They became members of the Grace Lutheran Church where they worshipped and served throughout the rest of their lives. In 1993, Amos and Ina moved down the road from the farm house where they lived until Amos’s death in 2008. Amos and Ina were married for a total of 56 years.
After his death, Ina continued to live by Nunda until a broken shoulder sent her to the hospital. Due to her injury, and an increasingly difficult battle with dementia, she moved to the United Living Community in Brookings. Her children and grandchildren visited as often as they could and were frequently seen talking with her at the dinner table. She was a favorite of the roaming cat, “Stormy”, who could often be seen curled up on her chair or napping on her bed. On a number of occasions, Ina’s family witnessed Stormy opening Ina’s room door on her own just because she wanted to visit her. Ina lived at United Living Community until her death where she was lovingly surrounded by her children and favorite cat.
Ina is survived by her sister-in-law, Marilyn Wicks; four children, Karen (Steve) Reppe, Steve (Linda) Wicks, Terry (Robin) Wicks, and Sandy (Dale) Duxbury; 12 grandchildren, five spouses of grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.
Ina was preceded in death by her husband, Amos; siblings and several in-laws.
Online condolences can be sent at www.weilandfuneralchapel.com.
