Traverse City Record-Eagle

Archive: Saturday

December 1, 2012

Ethel V. Golden-Ringler

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KALKASKA — Ethel V. Golden-Ringler, age 104, of Kalkaska, very peacefully went to be with the Lord early Tuesday evening, Nov. 27, 2012, surrounded by her family.

The daughter of Mary L. Stebbins and William W. Ball, she was born in Grayson, Carter County, Ky., on Sept. 17, 1908. Ethel came to this area by rail with her grandparents when she was three years of age. She grew up during the lumber era and lived in several of the lumber camps as her mother was a cook and seamstress, and her father worked as a cord wood cutter, strip boss, scaler and many other jobs in the lumber camps.

Later years, she had to ride a train into town and stay at a boarding house to attend school. Ethel graduated high school then attended County Normal to earn a teaching certificate. She then took teaching classes through Central Michigan University to eventually earn her Bachelor of Science Degree and a Permanent Teaching Certificate.

Teaching was Ethel's passion, and she taught in many of the one-room country schools in Kalkaska County. When they annexed to Kalkaska she taught in Fife Lake Elementary School and then in the Kalkaska school system teaching second grade. Since Ethel thought everyone should learn a foreign language, she taught her second graders a little Spanish. After her retirement she did substitute teaching at Crawford School, the only country school still in operation in this area.

Ethel also loved music and could play many instruments. One of her favorite things to do was to have a family sing-a-long with her at the piano. Traveling was another of her interests, as she went overseas several times, traveling to England, Africa and Spain.

Ethel was preceded in death by her parents; four sisters; three brothers; her first husband and the father of her children, Howard; and her second husband.

Surviving are her five sons, Clifford A. (the late Barbara) Golden, Richard A. Golden, Gary A. (Melba) Golden, Ronald H. (Gloria) Golden and Kenneth W. (JoyceAnn) Golden; three daughters, D. Joyce (the late Gene) Tanner, B. Joan Hall, MaryLou (Jesse) Stuck, all of the Kalkaska area; 29 grandchildren; 37 great-grandchildren; and 43 great-great-grandchildren.

Visitation for Ethel will be held today, Dec. 1, 2012, from 5 to 8 p.m., at Wolfe-O'Neill Funeral Home. A celebration of her life will be held on Sunday at 2 p.m. at the funeral home, with a luncheon following.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests contributions be made to The Kalkaska Area Educational Fund in Memory of Ethel V. Golden-Ringler, PO Box 565, Kalkaska, MI 49646.

Condolences may be left on-line at www.wolfeoneill.com.

Arrangements were made by Wolfe-O'Neill Funeral Home, our family serving yours.

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