Ruth Schultz

Ruth Elinor (Jahnke) Schultz, age 89, of Green Lake, passed away peacefully Thursday, December 1, 2011, at the Markesan Residence Home.

Ruth was born on September 10, 1922, on the family farm just east of Green Lake. She was an active, lifelong member of Peace Lutheran Church of Green Lake. Ruth graduated from Peace Grade School and was confirmed in 1936, graduating from Green Lake High School in 1940, where she was class president, editor of the homemade class yearbook and a Trombone player in the Marching Band. She was known as the “pie baker” for the “Hitching Post Restaurant” in Green Lake. She married Lorand Schultz of Ripon on November 9, 1941. Lorand passed away on September 23, 1985 in Ohio while driving a semi-truck. In the days preceding the funeral, Ruth and her family began putting together a combination of old and currant pictures for display, thus by chance starting a new wide spread custom. Ruth was a gentle Christian woman with a wonderful sense of humor. Raising 6 children (4 boys and 2 girls all with the JDS initials) through the post WWII 1950s, 60s, and 70s she was always ready to help, but specially dedicated her life to her youngest daughter, Janet, who suffered a disabling injury at the age of 2 years. She saw that her children were educated at Peace Lutheran Grade School.

Although Ruth grew up on the family farm, she was always uncomfortable with Bible reading and Sermons dealing with blood and gore associated with early Christians. Yet, she served as corpsman of her platoon of children, 4 clowns and 2 princesses, dealing admirably with broken arms from jumping out of the tree house through the basketball hoop, broken teeth by using a pogo stick in the basement with a low ceiling, cracked bones from throwing siblings into leaf piles, trying to ride a mattress down the stairs and not ever making it around the corner, climbing over the stair railing rather than using the steps, barbed wire across the mouth while being chased from the ABA while Job’s daughters were there, losing two fingers in doors, serious car accident during High School Home Coming week, a wide variety of sports related injuries, teeth extractions, not always by the Dentist, dog bits, cat scratches, Janet’s near fatal injury and surgeries, old kids teaching younger ones how to ride a bike by pushing them down the hill next to the house, riding in an old buggy down the same hill, sled driven into a variety of hard things, neighboring pastor’s kid falling from tree’s and breaking legs, multiple cases of measles, mumps, chicken pox, the flu and the resulting clean up in the middle of the night and little boys being bad shots in the bathroom. Ruth was always there. On her last day here on earth, when she could no longer speak, she conveyed her deep concern for her one sons hand injuries. Ruth was always concerned for others. She enjoyed the many family trips taken over the years. She claimed to have visited 46 states. During a 1962 trip to California, Lorand was stricken with Appendicitis in the middle of Nevada. Ruth found the strength and courage to seek medical help while keeping the children safe and properly care for. She was a member of Peace Ladies Aid, Green Lake County Association for Retarded Citizens, a volunteer at the Berlin Hospital Gift Shop, driver for a bus route (station wagon) for the Peace Grade School, and occasionally shuttling trucks for the family business (Jahnke & Schultz Trucking, Ripon Good Cookies). Ruth was a surprisingly versatile woman.

Ruth is survived by her children, John (Diane) Schultz, of Ripon, Jerrold (Lorraine) Schultz of North Fort Myers, FL, Joel (Georgia) Schultz of Green Lake, Judith (Dennis) Halverson of Mazomanie, WI, Janet Schultz of Princeton; daughter-in-law, Margaret of Green Lake; grandchildren, James (Stacey) Schultz of Beaver Dam, WI, Joelle Schultz of Leesburg, VA, John (Eileen) Schultz of Lake Ville, Il, Michele (Phillip) Olsen, Appleton, WI, Matthew Schultz of Oshkosh, WI, Ginny Schultz of Green Lake, and Christopher (Kathryn) Halverson of Middleton, WI; 5 step-grandchildren; 18 great-grandchildren; 10 great step-grandchildren; 2 great-great step grandchildren; sister, Irene Marotz of Madison, WI; sister-in-law, Ruth (Schultz) (Milton) Miller of Green Lake; brother-in-law, Fred Schultz Jr. of Sun Prairie, WI; sister-in-law, Jean (Redman) Jahnke of Green Lake; very special friends Mildred Smith and Helen Smith of Green Lake and many nieces and nephews, cousins and friends. Ruth has been preceded in death by her parents Edward and Florence (Miller) Jahnke; husband, Lorand; son, James; granddaughter, Brigett Schultz, and great-grandson, Jacob Schultz; twin brother, Richard; sister, Myrtle Kurth; brother, Norbert (Nubb’s); brother-in-law, Victor Schultz.

Visitation for Ruth E. Schultz will be held on Saturday, December 10, 2011, from 9-11 am, at Peace Evangelical Lutheran Church 440 Lake St. Green Lake.

Services for Ruth E. Schultz will be held on Saturday, December 10, 2011, at 11 am, at Peace Evangelical Lutheran Church with the Reverend Rodney E. Dietsche officiating. Interment at the Dartford Cemetery of Green Lake will follow.

Memorials may be directed to Peace Evangelical Lutheran Grade School, PO Box 224, 440 Lake St. Green Lake, WI. 54941.

Ruth’s family would like to thank everyone at the Markesan Residential Home for the outstanding care given our mom/grandma/great grandma.

Please visit www.butzinmarchant.com to send on-line condolences.