Ruth E. Richards

Ruth Elizabeth (Hardy) Richards, 86, died on Friday, February 2, 2024, at Brookdale Kenwood, in Kenwood, OH.

A memorial service will be held on Saturday, June 29, 2024, at 10:00 a.m. followed by inurnment of both Ruth & her husband, John, at Union Grove Cemetery, Northboro, IA. There will be a catered lunch at the Shenandoah Inn’s Hospitality Room, Shenandoah, IA, following the inurnment. In case of inclement weather, the memorial service for Ruth will be held in the Hospitality Room in Shenandoah, followed by inurnment at Union Grove, followed by the luncheon.

Memorials in Ruth’s name may be made to the following: American Bird Conservancy (via mail at:  PO Box 249, The Plains VA  20198 or online at act.abcbirds.org/a/donate or First Christian Church (220 Elm St, Coon Rapids, IA  50058).

The Mueller Funeral Home of Mason, OH, is honored to serve the Richards Family. Fond memories, stories, & condolences may be shared at www.muellerfunerals.com .

Ruth Elizabeth Richards

Ruth was born on January 27, 1938, the firstborn of John Hardy & Mary Margret (Moraleda) Hardy in Torrington, WY. She grew up in Tarkio, MO, & graduated from Tarkio High School. She began work at the Shenandoah A&W where she caught the eye of a young red-headed Richards man named John. July 21,1958, in the United Methodist Church of Northboro, IA, they began their adventure as husband & wife. Their children, Debbie & Carl, joined the fun a few years later. They moved from Shenandoah to Coon Rapids to take a job with the Garst & Thomas Pioneer Seed Company in 1963. In 1969, the company moved the family to Garden City, KS. As the children moved into middle school, Ruth rejoined the workforce as a cook at Abe Hubert Jr. High & later as a bus driver for the kindergarten route in Holcomb, KS. The Garden City Telegram did an article on the bus driver who decorated her bus for every holiday & gave all her students gifts she made by hand. The Tumbleweed Girl Scout Council & Troop #43 were lucky recipients of her leadership & involvement.

Ruth was a creator extraordinaire—she knit, crocheted, painted (canvas, glass, wood, really anything that would take paint), sewed, quilted, baked (& baked & baked), bedazzled, & decorated for every holiday–her home, clothes, & jewelry; & she shared her creations with everyone in her orbit—baby blankets, throws, dishcloths, pot holders, & the list goes on. Once the kids moved out, she & John hit the road—snow skiing in CO & riding their Honda Gold Wing to Washington state, to the Blue Ridge Parkway, to Nashville & Memphis, & many points in between.

In 1986, the company moved Ruth & John back to Coon Rapids where they immediately reconnected with old friends. Ruth worked in the Quality Assurance Lab for Garst & all its iterations for several years. She was a member of the First Christian Church, a Kitchen Klucker, a Coffee Girl, & a faithful red & purple-wearing member of the Red Hat Society. She & John were snowbirds, driving their fifth-wheel trailer to Yuma, AZ, several winters. Above all, she was a stellar Grandma—inviting her grandchildren to spend extended time in Iowa over school breaks & during the summer, taking them to swimming lessons, watching as they played in the parks, taking them sledding, & doing all the spoiling things Grandmas do. Ruth & John made the almost 400-mile drive to Kansas often to attend ball games, first communions, concerts, graduations, & other milestones in their grandchildren’s lives.

In October 2019, Ruth had a routine surgery. She entered the community jewel, Thomas Rest Haven, under Skilled Nursing Care to recover only to have a stroke soon afterward. She resided at Thomas Rest Haven until December 2023 when she was moved to the Cincinnati area to be close to family.

Ruth is survived by a daughter Debbie LaVoie (Craig) of Cincinnati, OH; a son Carl Richards (Debbie) of Garden Plain, KS; five grandchildren: Jackie Cooper (Casey), Justin LaVoie, Jeffrey LaVoie (Kristen), Heather Lockwood (Ethan), & Courtney Richards; two great-grandchildren: Dominic & Carson LaVoie; two sisters: Margaret Ireland  (John Barber) of Bullhead City, AZ, & Jane Lutz (Butch) of Rock Port, MO; one brother-in-law: Edwin Henry of Indianola, IA, & lots of nieces & nephews.

Ruth was preceded in death by her parents, John & Mary Hardy; her father- & mother-in-law Wesley & Irene Richards; her brother John L (Sonny) Hardy, her sister-in-law Judy Hardy; four brothers-in-law & their wives: Morris Richards (Helen), Warren Richards (Ruth), Clarence Richards (Clarice), & Ross Richards (Phyllis); a sister-in-law: Ruth Henry; a sister-in-law & her husband Mary Tiemann (Warren).