Inez Gill Ricks

Inez Gill Ricks May 5, 1923 - October 11, 2014 Inez Gill Ricks was born Inez Marian Gill to Louis and Katherine Gill on May 5, 1923 in Harrisburg, Texas. She was the oldest of eight children who grew up in Dickinson, Texas during The Great Depression. Her love of and talent for teaching was evident at a very early age when Inez taught her grandfather, Alfred Gregory, to read when she was only 14 years old. She went on to graduate Valedictorian of her High School class and earn a Bachelors and Masters Degrees from Texas Southern University. Inez married Conway Waddy in 1946, and this union was blessed with the birth of Violantha June (Waddy) Ricks in 1947. Later she married John L. Ricks, Jr. and this union was blessed with two boys, John L. Ricks, III and Ronald T. Ricks in 1958 and 1962, respectfully. The only thing that Inez loved more than teaching was her family, namely her children and her grandchildren. After being widowed in 1965 she managed to put all three children through college, with all receiving Bachelor's Degrees and two receiving Masters Degrees. Inez began her teaching career in 1943 in the Texas City School District where she taught until 1958. She began teaching in the LaMarque Independent School District in 1959 where she continued teaching until her retirement in 1993. In all, Inez taught in public schools for 47 years. During that time she was awarded the District Teacher of the Year Award 3 times and in 1967 the U.S Department of Education recognized her as a National Teacher of the Year! Inez continued teaching after her retirement as a volunteer in a program sponsored by the Texas Workforce Commission to help High School "dropouts" prepare for the workforce, and as a substitute teacher with LaMarque ISD. She also allowed God to use her teaching talents to teach the Bible to inmates at the Women's Correctional Facility through the prison ministry. Inez was raised in a Christian home and was christened at an early age in the Methodist Church. After studying the Bible as an adult she was then baptized into Christ in 1969 at the League City Church of Christ. She devoted her life to serving God and instilled in her children the need serve God in everything they do. Her devotion led all of her children to be faithful members of their respective congregations. Her daughter was a faithful Jehovah's Witnesses for over 30 years, serving for several years in the full-time ministry work, and her sons went on to become Bible class teachers and the younger son became an elder, both in Churches of Christ. Inez Gill Ricks departed this life on October 11, 2014. She is preceded in death by her parents Louis and Katherine Gill, her siblings, Alfred Gill, Willie Gill, Zephyr Gill Ernest, Betty Gill Brown and Winnie Gill Mills, husbands, Conway Waddy, John L. Ricks Jr., and Clyde Ferguson, son Malcolm Ferguson, and her only daughter Violantha Ricks Beatty. She is survived by her brother Louis Gill, Jr. and her sister Eulalia Gill Rice, sons John and Ronald Ricks, along with their wives Ana and Linda, son Tyrone Ferguson and his wife Sandra, grandchildren, Brynette Beatty, Carl Beatty, Jael Ricks Word and her husband James, John Ricks IV, Ashton Ricks, Mychal Ricks, Taylor Ricks, Joel Ferguson and his wife Martine, Andres Ramirez and Aileen Ramirez; and a host of cousins, nieces, nephews, friends and literally thousands of former students! Inez will be greatly missed by all of the many lives that she touched with her grace, her intellect and her kindness. May she rest forever in God's loving arms!