Madeline Ann Nitzsche or “Ann” as she preferred to be addressed, died on January 2, 2024, at Mercy Health/St. Rita’s Medical Center in Lima, Ohio after a brief but acute illness.
Ann was born to John and Ruth Ringer in Cleveland, Ohio on December 4, 1935. She and her family eventually resided in Peninsula, Ohio where she became a member of the Methodist Church at age 13 and graduated from Boston Township High School in 1954.
Ann met and married Airman Donald “Don” Nitzsche on September 29, 1955. She gave birth to her first son, Richard, in Montana in 1956, her second son, Dale, in Nevada in 1961 and her third son, David Andrew, in Columbus, Ohio in 1968 where the family resided for many years upon leaving military service.
Ann’s career was as a homemaker, mother, grandmother, and great grandmother, interspersed with outside jobs from time to time as circumstances and opportunities warranted. In widowhood, Ann lived independently both in Delaware, Ohio and later in the Green Hills Community of West Liberty until her passing.
She is preceded in death by her parents John and Ruth, her husband Don, her companion Ben, her brother John (“Jack”), and more recently, her son and daughter-in-law Dale and Pam Nitzsche.
Ann is survived by her sons Richard (Lori) and David (Nicole), stepdaughters Shelly (Kyle) Johnson, Tina (Jason) Rose, her sister-in-law Cindy, twelve grandchildren: Shane (Sara) Nitzsche, Tasha (Jordan) Reeves, Juliette (Ben) Tanner, Allyson, Rachel, Conlan, Jacob, Olivia (Luke) Throckmorton, Ethan, Charlotte, Elijah, and Emmaline, three step-grandchildren: Brooke, Hannah, Michael, and six great grandchildren. Her love for them all could not be measured.
The family will receive friends from 3 to 4 p.m. Saturday, January 13, at the at the Eichholtz Daring & Sanford Funeral Home, 101 Zanesfield Road in West Liberty, where Ann’s son, Elder Richard Nitzsche will officiate a memorial service at 4 p.m. Inurnment will be in Green Mound Cemetery in Kilbourne, Ohio.
Memorial contribution may be made, in Ann’s memory, to Green Hills Community, 6557 U.S. 68 South, West Liberty, Ohio 43357.
Eichholtz Daring & Sanford Funeral Home, West Liberty, is honored to serve the Nitzsche family and encourages anyone to share a fond memory or message of condolence at www.edsfh.com.
