Ruth was always known to the family as "Susie" because she had big brown eyes like a brown-eyed susan. She grew up in Oak Park, Illinois, the next to youngest of eight children, living with her father and sister, Nell, after their mother died in 1947.
After their father died in 1953, Nell and Susie moved to an apartment in Oak Park where they lived for about five years. Then they moved to Glen Ellyn, Illinois, just at the end of the street where their sister, Dorothea, and her family lived. After Nell retired in the late '60s, they moved to Sun City, Arizona. Nell died in 1987 and about 10 or 12 years later Sue moved to Glencroft.
At age 18 or 19, Sue went to work for Sears, Roebuck and Co. and eventually worked as an assistant to a buyer. She completed 29 years of service at Sears. In Sun City, she worked as a secretary and office manager for Orvin Engineering Co. and then at the Sun City Library for almost 12 years. In her "retirement" at Glencroft, she was in charge of the library for a number of years.
With a desire to serve the Lord, she taught Sunday School to children at both the First Baptist Church of Glen Ellyn (now Parkview Community Church) and the First Baptist Church in Glendale. She was also active in children's groups there. For the past 20 years she was a member of Grace Bible Church in Sun City where in earlier years she was in charge of the church library. A cheerful and kind person, she loved the Lord and in her quiet manner left a godly influence on her nieces, nephews and those who knew her.
She was preceded in death by seven siblings and is survived by many nieces and nephews.
A memorial service will be held on Tuesday, Jan. 13 at 2:00 p.m. at Glencroft Community Church.