Loren Karickhoff

CUYAHOGA FALLS -Loren "Dutch" Karickhoff arrived to a joyous welcome from his Savior and Lord on Aug. 17th, 2011. He departed this temporal world after more than 50 years of faithful service to his Master and King Jesus Christ.

Dutch was born in 1923 in Upsher County, West Virginia to Clarence and Hazel Karickhoff. He spent his childhood working on the family farm and learning his early entrepreneurial skills. At age 18, he joined the Army and served in the European Theater of WWII. After the war, Dutch attended West Virginia Wesleyan and Wharton School of Finance, graduating both with honors. He started his career at Western Electric Company in New York City. He came to Akron, Ohio in 1954 where he began is work with the Church Insurance Agency that he would some day be CEO and owner and retire from after nearly 50 years.
Dutch touched the lives of many people through the years in his ministry of reconciliation. He believed strongly that only two things last for eternity; God's Word and people. He gave himself to bringing the two together. He taught numerous Bible studies in people's homes and pioneered the Discipleship work of the Navigators in the Akron area. He served on the international board of Navigators, was on the laymen's staff of Home Bible Studies and was elder on The Way, The Truth, The Life Tabernacle, his church family.

Dutch had the vision for discipleship and spent much of his life in one on one discipling, small group Bible study, Bible scripture memory; quietly and with meekness drawing people to Jesus Christ and His Kingdom. Dutch's life as marked by authenticity, his words and deeds were in harmony.

Dutch is survived by his wife, Jane; sister, Wava Summers and her son, Paul; daughters, Renee Karickhoff, Denise Fickey (Ben), and Heidi Federico (David); son, Christopher (Teresa); step-daughters, Melissa Yovichin (Dean), Amy Graves (Dave); grandchildren, Quinn, Kamron, Isaac, Jeremy, Kara, Kayla, Breanna, Kristi, Elliot, Sarah, Joseph, Jude, Ryan and Mark and many special nieces and nephews. He was preceded by the mother of his children, Sally Church Karickhoff.

Private interment will be held in Ohio National Western Reserve Cemetery. A Memorial Service for Dutch will be held on Sunday, August 21 at 5:00 pm in Stow Missionary Alliance Church, 4460 Stow Rd., Stow, OH 44224. In lieu of other remembrances, please make a love offering to Gospel for Asia, 1800 Golden Trail Court, Carrollton, TX 75010. www.gfa.org. Arrangements handled by Clifford-Shoemaker Funeral Home, 330-928-2147.