Ruth Hieftje

Ruth Hieftje was a woman of true character, with a love for teaching and spreading the gospel of the Lord, a love only exceeded by the passion she held for her family that she held so dear to her heart. The Roaring Twenties was a fantastic period in our nations history, when the sounds of progress could be heard in every village and city across America. It was the birthplace of jazz, the golden age of industry, and above all, a time of plenty. In Muskegon, Michigan, John L. Hieftje and his wife, Loretta V. (Cleveringa), had something wonderful to celebrate too. Already the proud parents of Mary, John and James, on August 28, 1926, they delighted in welcoming the birth of their daughter, Ruth Elaine. She was later followed by three more siblings, Thelma Kathleen (who was stillborn), Delores and Loretta, who rounded out the Hieftje household with six children. To provide for their large family, Ruths father worked as an accountant/bookkeeper at Central Paper Company, while her mother was a wonderful homemaker, but worked at Anaconda during the war, and later did alterations for Ar-Jers Clothing Store. Ruth enjoyed a typical childhood growing up in Muskegon, and was never short a playmate with five siblings. She was a rough and tumble tomboy from the time she could walk, and grew up loving to play baseball/softball and riding horses. Ruth received her education in the area schools and graduated from Muskegon High in 1945. In Ruths senior year of high school, she began working at the General Telephone Company of Muskegon until 1950. During this time, the telephone company transferred Ruth and several other co-workers to California for a time, where they all roomed together. She eventually made her way back to Michigan and became the Chief Operator of General Telephone of Ludington from 1957 to 1961. Education was always very important to Ruth and she went on to attend Trevecca Nazarene College in Nashville, Tennessee, where she graduated with an academic degree in Theology (Th.D.) in 1954. Although the school had strict rules about no jeans or slacks worn by girls, Ruth would put a skirt over her pants to go horseback riding; she never truly grew out of her tomboy nature. Ruth returned to Michigan to complete her graduate studies at Western Michigan and Michigan State Universities. Ruth was an educator most of her life, both in church and in public schools. She began her teaching career in Holton, Michigan in 1961, teaching 3rd graders, but left in 1963 to teach 4th grade at McMillan Elementary School in Muskegon. In 1966, Ruth took a teaching position at Portland Elementary, where she remained until retiring in 1986. Teaching came naturally to Ruth, and she was well liked and admired by all her students throughout her 25 years of teaching. In recognition of her passion as an educator, Ruth was inducted into the Honor Society in 1973, and was a member of the Delta Kappa Gamma Society Alpha-Upsilon Chapter Alpha Iota. Ruth was also a member of the Michigan Education Association (MEA) and the National Association of Retired School Personnel. When she wasnt in the classroom teaching, Ruth was sharing her love for the Lord with others. For two years (1954-1956), she was Pastor of the Sault Ste. Marie Nazarene Church, after which she served as the Assistant Pastor and Youth Director of the Ludington Church of the Nazarene for 3 years (1956-1959). With a love for children, Ruth also taught Sunday school for over 25 years and led numerous adult home Bible studies. How Ruth found the time and energy to do what she did is a testament to her commitment to the Lord. Although Ruth never married or had children of her own, she found great joy in her nieces and nephews and stayed close with them all her life. She would dote on them 1 or 2 at a time, taking them on vacation with her, having sleepovers (not co-ed, of course) or taking them out to dinner. When she wasnt spending time with her beloved family, Ruth enjoyed being crafty with acrylic painting and carving. It was only natural as an educator that she was an avid reader, but she also learned much through her travels, which she did often. A real practical joker, Ruth had a great sense of humor and loved to tease and joke with others, undoubtedly bringing a smile to their face. Her sweet laugh just filled a room and brought joy to everyone around her. However, her most endearing trait was her generous spirit and compassionate heart. Ruth didnt put money aside for retirement but instead spent it on family and students, knowing that the Lord would provide when the time came. In the end, she found great comfort and reverence in studying the Bible, where her spirit found peace. Ruth loved her family and loved her career as a teacher. She believed that learning was a lifelong process, and she taught those who knew her with both her words and through the example she set of a good, Christian person. Ruth filled every relationship with warmth and love, and to a countless many, she will be greatly missed. Ruth Elaine Hieftje passed gently into the arms of her Lord on Sunday, March 8, 2009, at Heartland Hospice in Grand Ledge, MI, surrounded by family whom she loved dearly. She is survived by her sisters, Delores Smith (Bud) Hattis, Loretta (Lyndon) Coffey, and was preceded in death by her sister, Mary (Howard) Cooper, and her brothers, John (Doris) and James (Elloise). She will be remembered fondly by her 9 nieces and nephews and numerous great nieces and great nephews. Services for Ruth will be held on Wednesday, March 11, at 1:00 p.m. at Breakwater Church of the Nazarene (formerly First Church of the Nazarene), 1150 Seminole Road, with her nephew, Dr. Glen B. Maiden, officiating. Interment at Lakeside Cemetery. Visitation will be on Tuesday, March 10, from 6-9 p.m. at Clock Life Story Funeral Home - Muskegon. Memorial contributions may be made to the Alzheimer's Association or First Church of the Nazarene. Please visit Ruths memory page at www.lifestorynet.com where you may share a memory/thought with her family or sign her online guest book.