Daniel

 

 

Ella Ruth (Schwartz) Flickinger

(1906 – 2009)

 

 

Ella Ruth began her lengthy, wonderful life,

Daughter of John Schwartz and Lydia Zerger, his wife;

Born October Twenty-Two in 1906,

 In Corn County, Oklahoma, out in the sticks.

 

Above the store in Exedine, she lived while young,

And a big, warm, happy family soon had sprung.

To Washington state the family chose to go,

And they lived on a farm near the town of Monroe.

 

On June 12, 1921, she was baptized,

A life-time of strong faith had been initialized.

But Church also was her social life in that day,

And a certain young man began looking her way.

 

Jacob Joseph Flickinger came upon the scene,

And with sweet Ella he soon became rather keen.

It was on June 28, 1925,

They shared marriage vows and became husband and wife.

 

The next year in June, their first child, Selma, was born.

Not long after, away the three of them were torn;

As to Kansas they moved, where they began to farm,

A hard life they tackled, together arm in arm.

 

As they worked hard, sowing and toiling the good earth,

Fruits of labor included six sons given birth;

Jake, Gene, Larry and John, David and Ronnie too,

To their father, Ella said, their good looks were due.

 

Just like the crops, the children seemed quickly to grow,

They began to wed and grandkids began to show.

The Love of God and Love of Life that she had learned,

Through her to them, it was bountifully returned.

 

But amidst all life's joys, sorrows are also felt;

On March 3, 1965, Jake's death was dealt,

Then John was lost in a terrible accident,

And with cancer, Selma, Gene and Jake also went.

 

Now May 1, 2009, at a hundred two (102),

She goes to meet them and receive all that she's due.

Oh what a glorious reunion it must be,

As all of them and even more she can now see.

 

Her legacy of life is her wonderful love,

That sparkling example of the Dear Lord above,

That great love she shares with just about everyone,

Yet makes us each feel we are her favorite one.

 

“Mom,” “Grandma,” “Grams,” however it was that you knew,

As she closed her eyes, she said “I love all of you.”

So whatever we each must do to find our way,

Know she expects to see you in Heaven some day.