Edna (Brown) Ryken
Marriages
Edward Dale Ryken - 1959
Obituaries
Grand Junction Daily Sentinel page 5A Obituary - October 5, 2018
Edna Rachel Ryken March 28, 1933 - September 29, 2018
On Saturday, September 29, 2018, Edna Rachel Ryken (Brown) of Grand Junction, Colorado, went home to be with the Lord after a lengthy illness. Edna was born on March 28, 1933, in Loma, Colorado, to Vivian and Leona Brown. She was one of seven siblings, Hester, Gene, and Marcella Wright, Edna, Barbara, Elaine, and Gail Brown. Edna was a 1951 graduate of Fruita High school. In 1959, Edna married Edward Dale Ryken formerly of Pella, Iowa, and they had 59 wonderful years together. Together they had three children, Stephen (Karen), Donna, and Paula; six grandchildren, Joshua (Vicki), Matthew (Sarah), Stephanie (Kevin), Rachel, Vivian, and Ethan, and four greatgrandchildren, Damien, Connor, Cooper, and Tucker. She worked at the telephone company in Fruita and Grand Junction as an operator and later in the business office, as well as many years as a babysitter, and ministered as a preschool teacher at Rainbow Children’s Center of Bookcliff Baptist Church. Ed and Edna spent 15 winters with friends from all over Canada and the United States at Riverlodge Park and First Baptist Church of Parker, Arizona. They enjoyed fishing, playing cards, crafting, and golfing with their winter friends. She leaves behind a legacy of both fierce determination and a love of all she came into contact with. She gave her children and the following generations the confidence to know that they could accomplish anything they set their minds to, the conviction that it was their responsibility in life to make a difference wherever they were, and the understanding that the most important thing in the world was to love God and to love others. She enjoyed dancing the jitterbug, playing cards, hunting, fishing, gospel music, reading, watching the Denver Broncos, and being with her church family. She loved her family and friends more than she loved herself. She showed that love every day of her life in countless ways. You could not spend a minute with her and not feel her love for you. She was an example of the Lord to all who came into contact with her. As an active member of Bookcliff Baptist Church for over 40 years, she ministered to young children and loved to sing in the choir. Visitation will be held at Callahan-Edfast Mortuary on Friday, October 5, from 4 - 5:00 p.m. Funeral services will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, October 6, 2018, at Bookcliff Baptist Church. Following interment at Elmwood Cemetery in Fruita, Colorado, a light lunch will be served at Bookcliff Baptist Church. All are welcome to attend.
The Daily Sentinel page 6A Death Notices - October 4, 2018
Edna Ryken, 85, Grand Junction, died Sept. 29, 2018, at St. Mary’s Medical Center. Services will be at 10 a.m. Saturday, at Bookcliff Baptist Church. She was a preschool teacher. Survivors include her husband, Edward; one son, Steve of Fruita; one daughter, Paula Ryken of Sacramento, California; two sisters, Gail Stuiler and Elaine Griffith; six grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren.
