Etta Rikess Obituary (1925 - 2019) - Saint Paul, Minnesota

Etta Bernice (Lazar) Rikess, 94, of Minneapolis, St. Paul, and Scottsdale, passed away July 7, 2019, with family by her side. She was born to David and Rebecca Lazar on March 15, 1925, in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Etta attended North High School in Minneapolis and graduated from the University of Minnesota as an accredited medical technician. Etta made a career of helping others through various causes and charities. Her beneficence began with some coins for Israel in a blue metal box, the “pushke," reaching grander heights by raising money for the purpose of airlifting needy families out of Ethiopia with assistance by her club, FAD (Friday Afternoon Date) a social club began by Etta and some middle-school classmates from the old neighborhood. For more than 75 years, the “girls” stayed close, working on civic projects together, fundraising, planning the others’ Bar and Bat Mitzvahs, and sometimes playing MahJong late into the afternoon. Alongside her volunteering for the Temple of Aaron Sisterhood, Tapemark Golf Tournament, and Hadassah, Etta took some time out to raise 5 boys, a maiden aunt, and the odd Great Dane or three. Besides being an avid golfer, world-traveler and fisher-person, Etta loved a good party, art walks, Broadway shows, and anything that included Mandy Patinkin. As much as she told her boys to stop with the jokes, she loved laughter and the sounds of her grandchildren. Etta was preceded in death by her parents; husband of 54 years, Edward “Eddie” Rikess; two brothers, Alec and Selmer Lazar; her sister-in-law and brother-in-law, Kaye (Rikess) and Ben Feldman; niece, Marsha Raviv. Together Etta & Eddie had five boys, Mark (Julia), Chuck (Tracy), Jack (Stella), David (Katy), Richard (Deborah). Etta is survived by her sons and their significant others, nieces and nephews, host of grandchildren and a great-grandchild, not to mention the many adopted women who were “the daughters she never had.” Graveside service 1:00 pm, WEDNESDAY, July 10th, BETH EL MEMORIAL PARK, 3726 Winnetka Ave. N., Crystal. Memorials preferred to Birthright Israel Foundation. SHIVA will be at 7:00 pm on Wednesday and Thursday at Sholom Home East, 740 Kay Ave., St. Paul.