Ruth Joanne Jacobs, nee Siemens, age 89, a resident of Carol Stream, went peacefully to be with the Lord, on Wednesday, May 22, at her home.  She was born June 27, 1929 in Duluth, Minnesota.

During Ruth's early years and through high school, her family moved from Duluth to other locations: Hastings, MN; Oshkosh, WI: Hollywood, CA and Minneapolis, MN.  She graduated from Culter Academy (high school) in Los Angeles, CA in 1947 and from Northwestern College in Minneapolis, MN in 1951. She received a certificate in linguistics at the University of North Dakota in Fargo.

Ruth married Dick Jacobs on June 12, 1953 in Minneapolis, MN. In 1956, they were appointed as missionaries with CBFMS (Conservative Baptist Foreign Mission Society) - now known as WorldVenture.  They lived for 20 years in Côte d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast), West Africa where they pioneered a church planting/leadership development ministry among the Tagbana people.  Ruth focused her ministry primarily on teaching and discipling women and children.  Ruth and Dick returned to the mission headquarters in Wheaton, IL in 1978 where Dick served as Director of Africa Ministry until 1995. During this time, Ruth served for 10 years as Secretary to the General Director of the Conservative Baptist Association of America.  Both Ruth and Dick served in leadership roles at First Baptist Church, Wheaton (Highpoint Church) during their retirement.

Ruth is survived by her husband, Dick, two children: Bruce (Anna) Jacobs and Brenda  (Robert) Kopp, seven grandchildren: Brian (Christin), Michael (Taylor), Jennifer, Stephen (Shanda), Andrew, Emily and Benjamin, and six great-grandsons: Dakota, Quinten, Jackson, Maxwell, Lincoln and Parker.  She is also survived by her siblings Dr. Robert Siemens of Albany NY, Mrs. Rhoda Jackson of Folsom, CA. and Rev. Richard (Gracie) Siemens of LaMirada, CA.  She was preceded in death by her parents Dr. John R and Gladys Siemens.

A visitation will be held on Sunday, June 2, 2019 from 4 to 8 p.m. at Hultgren Funeral Home, 304 N. Main St., Wheaton. A memorial service will be held on Monday, June 3, 2019 at 10:00 a.m. at Highpoint Church, 1310 N. Main, Wheaton. Interment will follow at Wheaton Cemetery in Wheaton, Illinois.

Memorial gifts may be directed to WorldVenture, 20 Inverness Pl. E, Englewood, Co 80112-562.

Family and friends may sign a guest book at hultgrenfh.com. For more information, please call Hultgren Funeral Home at 630-668-0027.