Ruth Wood

Ruth Weber Wood crossed to the loving arms of her Redeemer at 1:25 PM, July 13th, at the age of 97. She died as a result from complications of a massive stroke.

She has passed out of the love of human hearts to a higher, better and stronger love.

Ruth was born on June 10th, 1912, in Nappanee, Indiana, to Frank and Lydia (Lehman) Weber. She was raised in Nappanee and graduated from high school there. In 1933, she graduated from Bluffton College with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Education and embarked on a career of teaching and library science that spanned 38 years. She taught English and Latin. In 1961, she received her Masters Degree in Library Science from Bowling Green State University in Bowling Green, Ohio.

In 1937, her education career took her to Payne High School in Payne, Ohio, where she met her life's partner in all things, Harold Franklin Wood. On August 15th, 1943, she married S/Sgt. Harold F. Wood, USA, in Bluffton, Ohio. They were married for sixty years. After World War II, Ruth and Harold produced their only child, a son David, on November 15th 1949.

In retirement, Ruth and Harold spent twenty - five winters a Sunset Palms Retirement Community where she made new friends, played bridge bingo and Uno, bowled and became an accomplished artist. Many of her works have been displayed in gallery showings in Ohio and Florida.

Professionally, Ruth was a member of the National Education Association, the Ohio Education Association, the Paulding County Teachers Association, the Ohio Retired Teachers Association and one of her favorites, the Beta Eta Chapter of the Delta Kappa Gamma Sorority. Ruth was named several times as a Martha Holden Jennings Scholar for excellence in education.

Ruth was a sixty - six year member of the Church of Christ in Payne; a sixty - four year member of Hesperian Chapter No. 281, Order of the Eastern Star, where she served as Worthy Matron in 1950. She was past president of the Paulding County Chapter of the American Heart Association and a loyal member of the Sorosis Club of Payne; where she played her last bridge hand with her hometown friends on June 15th.

After Harold's death in 2003, she made the decision to move to The Sanctuary at St. Paul's to be near her son David; which she did in 2004. At St. Paul's, she didn't slow down and continued to play bridge, bingo, go to theater events at Bethel College and Notre Dame, and shop and travel with her son. On any given day, she could be seen buzzing the halls of St. Paul's on her electric scooter, going to some event or other. Her very favorite activity at St. Paul's was the Bells Choir, which she was in from its beginning and with which she played in many concerts around South Bend.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Harold; her parents; her sister Mabel (Russell) Lantz, of Bluffton, Ohio and her brother Ralph (Orabelle) Weber of Oakland, California. She is survived by her son, David F. Wood of South Bend; nieces Carole (Jim) Overmeyer of Payne and Marianne (Don) Weber Wood of Danville, California, and nephews Don (Sandy) Wood of St. Clairesville, Ohio, and Alan (Bonnie) Wood of Delaware, Ohio.

Ruth was a strongly independent, intelligent and talented woman of integrity and faith, right up to her death. And if that weren't enough, she was a wife, a partner a sports "mom", a DeMolay "mom", a Cub Scout Den "mom" and a staunch Republican. She made many, many friends and, over all her years, touched the lives of many, both in small and great ways.

There will be a visitation and memorial celebration of her life in the Chapel at the Sanctuary at St. Paul's, 3602 South Ironwood Drive in South Bend, on Thursday, July 16th. Calling will be from 5:00 to 7:00 PM and the memorial will begin at 7:00 PM.

There will also be a visitation time and Eastern Star memorial service at Dooley Funeral Home, 5761 SR 500 Payne, on Friday, July 17th. Calling is from 6:00 to 8:00 PM and an Eastern Star memorial service at 7:30 PM.

The funeral will be at 11:00 AM on Saturday, July 18th, at the Church of Christ on W. Merrin Street, Payne. Burial will be at Lehman Cemetery, Payne.

Expressions of sympathy on behalf of Mrs. Wood may be offered to the Scottish Rite Learning Center, 427 North Main Street, South Bend, IN 46601, or to the American Heart Association of Paulding County, 1701 Woodlands Dr., Ste 200 Maumee, Ohio 43537.

Condolences and fond memories may be shared at www.dooleyfuneralhome.com