Ruth Steffen

Ruth L. Steffen, 88, of Cumberland, Iowa, passed away Wednesday, October 11, 2017, at Caring Acres Nursing & Rehab in Anita, Iowa, where she had been a resident recently.

On October 18, 1928, Ruth Leone was born the daughter of Louie Ray and Edith Bessie (Smith) Gerlock southwest of Cumberland, Iowa, at the farm house where her folks were living at the time. She attended country schools in Cass County and graduated from Cumberland High School in 1946. In her earlier years, she worked at Miller’s Grocery Store in Cumberland, did baby/kid sitting jobs, and helped on the farm. She was united in marriage to Harold E. Steffen on March 9, 1947, at her parents’ home near Cumberland. After they were married, the couple farmed with Harold’s folks, George and Leta Steffen, until they purchased the farm from them on March 1, 1962. Ruth has lived on this farm since her marriage in 1947 except for the time she was a resident at Caring Acres. She was a life-long Cass County, Iowa, resident.

Ruth raised four children while being a very hard worker on the farm raising two big gardens for meals and canning for the winter months. Along with that, she raised many chickens for the eggs and meat for meals and selling. She mowed her lawn until she was 86 years old, was always available to help with harvest at home and also sat in line to unload grain at the Coop. She fed “bottle baby” lambs and calves. She also helped with the hogs and even though she bundled up with many clothes, always had to take a bath as the hog smell penetrated her clothes, as it did all of us.

She enjoyed sewing, quilting, crocheting, cooking, baking, going on tours, being an avid book reader, playing pinochle, caring for her beautiful flower gardens, and just visiting with family and friends. She made beautiful quilts for her children and grandchildren through the years. She made several family history and photo albums for each of her children and grandchildren and updated them each year at Christmas until her health issues in 2015.

You would always find her in the stands watching her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren participating at the county fair, playing sports (yes, even if it was raining, really cold, or snowing), attending their birthday parties, church and school concerts, graduations, wedding showers, marriage ceremonies and other events. Ruth enjoyed “keeping up” with her family, relatives, friends, and their families’ lives.

She enjoyed attending church as her faith was strong and several years back she returned her membership to the Cumberland Methodist Church after becoming a member of the Cumberland Disciples of Christ, now Trinity Christian Church of Bridgewater, when she married Harold.

Ruth was preceded in death by her parents, Louie and Edith Gerlock; her husband, Harold; her parents-in-law, George and Leta Steffen and stepmother-in-law, Dollie Steffen; a brother-in-law who died in infancy; and a brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Harley and Dorothy Jarvis.

Surviving Ruth are her children, David (Janice) Steffen of Cumberland, Dale (Pat) Steffen of Des Moines, Larry Steffen of Cumberland, and Kathy (Jim) Hildebrand of Atlantic; grandchildren, Andy (Jody) Steffen, Jessica (Ryan) Evans, Nathan (Andrea) Steffen, Leta (Tom Aquino) Steffen, Brad (Bri) Steffen, Matt Steffen and special friend, Olivia Randolph, and Michael Hildebrand; 12 great-grandchildren; a brother and sister-in-law, Robert (JoAnn) Gerlock of Cumberland; and several nieces, nephew, and many cousins and friends.

Visitation with family will be from 2:00 – 4:00 p.m., Sunday, October 15, 2017, at Hockenberry Family Care in Atlantic, Iowa.

A funeral service will be held at 10:30 a.m., Monday, October 16, 2017, at Hockenberry Family Care in Atlantic, Iowa, with burial in the Atlantic Cemetery.