Obituary of Sara Ann Rick

A funeral service will be held Thursday, April 3, 2014 at 10:30am at Grace Lutheran Church in Spirit Lake. Burial will be at Lakeview Gardens Cemetery. Visitation will be on Wednesday, April 2nd after 3:00pm with the family present from 5:00-8:00pm at Turner Jenness Funeral Home in Spirit Lake. In lieu of flowers, a memorial has been established in Sara's name. Sara Ann Rick, daughter of John and Peggy Rick, was born March 29, 1977 in Spirit Lake, Iowa. After graduating from Spirit Lake High School in 1995, Sara received her Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Iowa and her Master of Arts degree from Drake University. Sara taught at Moravia and Dallas Center Grimes School Districts before moving to West Des Moines, Iowa, where she worked as a 6th grade social studies teacher at Waukee South Middle School. She enjoyed working with her peers and students, constantly strived to become a better teacher. Sara was an active member in the ISEA, NEA, and the American Juvenile Diabetes Association. Sara loved to read books, try new restaurants and recipes, watch movies, and cheer on her beloved Hawkeyes. To Sara, family was paramount. She would travel to Chicago to visit her sister and her niece, Olivia. Most of all, she loved coming home to spend summer days on the lake with her family. Sara passed away unexpectedly March 29, 2014, at her home in West Des Moines, Iowa at thirty-seven years of age. She is survived by her mom, Peggy; sister, Tricia Fishman and husband, Isaiah; niece, Olivia; grandma, Flora May Clayton; aunts and uncles, Debbie Clayton, Renie Smith, Charles and Valerie Rick, Dennis and Julie Rick, Ron and Mary Roy, Tom and Marsha Hall and James and Shelly Rick; many cousins; special great-uncle and great-aunt, Ed and Alice Kabele; and her students and teachers. Sara was preceded in death by her dad, John Rick, Jr.; aunt, Georgia Clayton, uncle, Kim Clayton; grandparents, Weber Clayton and John and Johanna Rick; and cousin, Jessica Rick.