Ruth Brown

Ruth Brown was a remarkable woman with a tender heart and a compassionate spirit who spent many of her days caring for others whether it was her numerous patients, her precious daughter, or her beloved husband. To Ruth, life was about enjoying time with her family and friends and like a ray of sunshine, she brought light and life to all those placed in her path. Ruth savored every day, living it as though it was a gift tailor made just for her, embracing both the peaks and valleys along lifes journey. The year 1918 is a significant one in our nations history as WWI, which had begun in 1914, was beginning to draw to a close as the Allied Powers were gaining momentum throughout the dawn of the year. Charles and Margaret (Emperor) Ferch, of Grand Rapids, Michigan were looking forward to a significant change within their own family as well, as they were eagerly anticipating the birth of their third child. They were indeed blessed on April 14th of that year with the healthy birth of their daughter, Ruth Louise. Ruth joined older brother Edward and older sister Dorothy in the family home located on Thomas Street. This was a two family home which Ruths family shared with her grandparents. This allowed Ruth to foster a close relationship with her grandmother and she also enjoyed helping her with both the shopping and the ironing. Ruth also shared a special relationship with her brother Ed and as a student, she attended area schools and she attended Grand Rapids Central High School. Here, Ruth was a class mate of the former first lady Betty Ford. When she was in the eleventh grade, Ruths family relocated to the Greenville area leaving Ruth to graduate from Greenville High School. After high school graduation, Ruth enrolled in Hackley School of Nursing in Muskegon where she attended with her good friend Molly Bradey. In order to pay for her tuition, Ruth worked jobs after school which when combined with the long and difficult hours spent with her studies; Ruth exhibited her strong work ethic which would follow her throughout her entire lifetime. When she was able to scrape together a bit of free time, Ruth like going to the Fruitport Pavilion with her friend Molly where they liked to listen to the big bands and dance. Also of great significance during this time, was Ruths introduction to a young man named Ernest Brown. The two dated for a time, although their relationship was not serious, at least not yet. After graduating from Hackley, Ruth returned back to Grand Rapids where she found employment at Blodgett Hospital. As fate would have it, Ruth returned to Muskegon to work at Hackley Hospital, paving the way for her to get reacquainted with Ernie. It didnt take long before the two had fallen deeply in love and were subsequently united in marriage in January of 1943, beginning a new chapter in a love story which would span nearly 60 years. Their newlywed bliss was short lived, however, as Ernie soon went off to serve in the Army Air Corps during WWII. During this time, Ruth remained in Muskegon where she worked as an Industrial Nurse at the Norge Plant. Upon Ernies return to civilian life, they returned to Grand Rapids where Ernie worked in Industrial Sales. The couple was blessed with the births of two children: Candice, in 1948 and Nanci, in 1956. Ruth embraced her role as a mother and she primarily stayed home to care for the needs of her family although at times, she also did some private duty nursing. For the next few years, their family moved around a bit including a move to Muskegon, then to North Muskegon, and next to Laketon Township. Together, their family made many precious memories vacationing to places like New England and New York where they took in the Worlds Fair and they took trips to Florida too. After her girls finished school, Ruth earned her real estate license and worked part-time as an agent for Century 21. Life took a drastic and difficult turn for Ruth when her daughter Candice developed diabetes and became very ill. She and Ernie moved to Indianapolis in order to care for her. Candice died in 1983 leaving Ruth to draw strength from both her faith and her family during this difficult time. Soon after, Ruth and Ernie moved back to Muskegon and settled into a home located in Norton Shores. This new home had a pool in the backyard which became the setting for numerous gatherings with friends and family. Ruth loved entertaining there; even holding exercise classes in her pool and her grandchildren often came to visit also. With her leisure time, Ruth enjoyed a variety of interests and activities that she pursued. Together she and Ernie enjoyed golfing and they also loved wintering in warmer climates during the winter, most notably in Gulf Shores, Alabama. Ruth enjoyed knitting and she volunteered her time with the Red Cross and the Cherry Guild at Hackley Hospital. Ruth was a woman of faith who was a member of First Congregational Church where she enjoyed the praise and fellowship. Ruth and Ernie loved being social and they developed a core group of friends through Ernies job at Brunswick. They also enjoyed going out to dinner, taking rides, and traveling too. During the early 1990s, life again became more difficult for Ruth when Ernie began developing health issues including several heart attacks and the loss of both of his legs. The couple moved to a smaller home and Ruth tenderly cared for him during his health challenges until his death in 2001. Ruth continued to live on her own for the next four years with the help of her daughter Nanci and her family, but when her own health issues began to plague her, Ruth moved into Seminole Shores Assisted Living where she could receive the level of care that her health demanded. Ruth Brown was a delightful woman with a zest for life that included many interests and accomplishments, but she viewed the time she spent with her family, especially her granddaughters, as her greatest joy. Ruth was a compassionate woman who often set aside her own needs to give preference to the needs of others and she profoundly impacted the lives of all those who were blessed enough to have known her. She will be deeply missed. Ruth L. Brown died Thursday, April 30, 2009. Ruths family includes her daughter, Nanci (Steve) Johnson of Norton Shores; grandchildren, Christina Johnson of TX, Jennifer Johnson of Muskegon; sister-in-laws, Ann VanAmerongen, Millie (Ken) Bailey; several nieces & nephews. She was preceded in death by her brother, Edward Ferch; sister, Dorothy Hutchinson. A memorial service will be held on Monday, May 4, 2009, 1:00 p.m. at the chapel of Clock Life Story Funeral Homes - Muskegon location - Muskegon, MI with Rev. Tim Vanderhaar officiating. Visit with Ruths family on Monday, 1 hour prior to the service at Clock Chapel. Please visit www.lifestorynet.com to leave a memory or make a memorial contribution to American Diabetes or Muskegon Rescue Mission.