John H Ricketts

Video Memories of Mr. John RickettsMr. John Howard Ricketts, 86, retired shipping and receiving clerk for Union Carbide Corporation and resident of the Pulaski Highway, died Sunday, May 15, 2005 at Maury Regional Hospital. Funeral services will be conducted Tuesday at 11:00 a.m.at Oakes & Nichols with Rev. Thomas M. Scott officiating. Entombment will be in the Polk Memorial Gardens Mausoleum with military honors provided by Herbert Griffin American Legion Post #19. The family will visit with friends Monday from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. at the funeral home. Notes of sympathy may be sent to www.oakesandnichols.com. The Wayne County native was the son of the late Joel Stephen Ricketts and Minnie Della Gamble Ricketts. He was a member of Faith Freewill Baptist Church. He served in the 367th Engineers Combat Battalion of the U. S. Army from 1942 to 1945 including assignments in Sicily, Southern France, Arno, Rhineland and Italy. During his tenure as Battalion Balloon Crew Chief, he earned the European-African Theatre Ribbon with five bronze battle stars and the Good Conduct Medal. Survivors include his wife, Annie Ruth Scribner Ricketts of Columbia; a daughter and son-in-law, Katrina and Mike Bergman of Columbia; two sons and daughters-in-law, Gerald Wayne and Linda Ricketts of Murfreesboro and Ronald Blaine and Deborah Ricketts of Columbia; eight grandchildren, Joel Stephen Ricketts, Benjamin Ricketts, Wesley Ricketts, Rachael (Eric) Yearwood, Sonya Clem, Sharon (Eric) Hileman, Brantley Bergman and James Michael Bergman, Jr.; nine great-grandchildren; several nieces and nephews. Grandsons will serve as pallbearers. Honorary pallbearers are Dr. Darryl Rhinehart and Union Carbide Corporation retirees.