Ruth White

Ruth White, neé Felger, died peacefully in her home on Wednesday, June 9, 2020. Ruth was born on April 2, 1951, in Columbia City, Indiana to Forest and Mary Jane Felger. She grew up in Fort Wayne with her aunt and uncle, Agnes and Walter Becher, and on her father's farm near Arcola. She and her husband, Charles, married on August 5, 1972, and settled outside of Willshire, Ohio, where they raised their three children. She worked for the Parkway Local School District and Mercer County Educational Service Center and was an active member of Zion Lutheran Church.

Ruth was intensely committed to her work supporting children. She served students with multiple disabilities as an aide on buses and in classrooms, caring for each of them deeply. She shared her faith at Zion as a Sunday School teacher, a youth group leader, and the long-standing arts and crafts director for Vacation Bible School. She led by example as a woman of faith and integrity.

When younger, she enjoyed playing the piano and singing as a member of the Lutherannies. Throughout her life, she delighted in crafting and sewing, sharing her love of reading with her children and grandchildren, listening to 1960s tunes and WBCL, writing poetry, playing Euchre with her family, completing word and sudoku puzzles, sharing old photos and passing on family stories, and playing with her grandchildren.

Her greatest joy was being a loving wife and mother, and she supported her family in a myriad of ways—providing meals, driving her children to rehearsals and attending all their concerts, sewing clothes, caring for her aging father-in-law, proofreading her children's writing, and listening, encouraging, and cheering on her children and grandchildren. She was generous with her time and skills and quick to provide a hug and a hot plate of food to anyone and everyone.

Ruth was preceded in death by her parents, Mary Jane and Forest Felger; guardians, Agnes and Walter Becher; and parents-in-law, Charles Philip and Helen Jean White; and two of her children, Stephanie Marie and Carrie Robin. She is survived by her loving husband, Charles Elmer White; three children, Christian (Candice) White, Joy (Christopher) Millay, and Faith (Joshua) Lanam; three brothers, Charles (Melody) Felger, Max (Linda) Felger, and Mark (Ann) Felger; two adoptive sisters; three step-siblings, and five grandchildren.

Calling hours: Monday, June 15, 2:00-8:00 pm at Ketcham-Ripley Funeral Home (Rockford, Ohio); Tuesday, June 16, 10:00-11:00 am at Zion Lutheran Church (Chattanooga, Ohio). Funeral: 11:00 am at Zion Lutheran Church. Graveside service will be at Zion's cemetery.

Although family and friends are invited to attend Ruth's visitation, funeral, and graveside service, we continue to be cautious and concerned for those who are most vulnerable, the elderly and those with serious health issues. We strongly urge everyone to remain vigilant and respect the well-being of the members of Ruth's family and friends who are at risk. Attendees are asked to observe social distancing, refrain from close physical contact, and wear facial coverings as able.