Ruth Schaefer

Throughout her rich and rewarding life, Ruth Schaefers happiness was not found in what she had, rather, she found peace, joy, and contentment in sharing priceless moments with the ones she loved. She was an independent woman who wasnt afraid to do things her own way, and she worked hard both in and out of the home. Ruth devoted herself to caring for her husband and children, and her family that grew to include three grandchildren was her greatest source of pride and joy. She had a warm and inviting demeanor that drew both adults and children near, and she was genuine in her love and concern for those around her. Ruth created a brilliant mosaic of memories that will be forever cherished by all who were within her reach. With the end of WWI in 1918, America was recognized as a world leader and poised for greatness. The Roaring Twenties followed, and they were a prosperous time when innovation brought us things like washing machines and refrigerators, radios and affordable automobiles. Right in the middle of this exciting time was the year 1925 that was filled with great joy for a young couple from Muskegon, Michigan, as they announced the birth of their healthy baby girl on November 16th. Ruth Lenore was the third of six children born to her parents, George and Emma (McLaughlin) Kepford, and she was raised in the family home on Southern Avenue in downtown Muskegon alongside her other brothers, Ike and Harry, and her younger siblings including the twins, Jim and Betty, and her sister, Grace. Her father worked for the City of Muskegon while her mother cleaned area homes and took in clothes to iron. While Ruth was a young girl the Great Depression of the 1930s blanketed our nation, and most families, including the Kepfords, struggled to make ends meet. Ruth had several friends, and there were numerous sleepovers at these girlfriends houses. Some of these friends were friends for life. Ruth was also very close to her youngest sister, Grace, despite being 10 years her senior. Her brothers were very involved in sports, and attending their games as a family was a regular occurrence. Ruth attended Nelson School and went on to Muskegon High School where she played on the girls field hockey team. It was while in high school that Ruth met the young man who stole her heart. His name was Ernest Bill Schaefer, and soon after meeting they began dating. While their relationship was still blossoming he was called to serve in the United States Army during WWII. He also served in the Korean Conflict. Throughout this time their relationship became a long distance one. After graduating from high school in 1944 Ruth went on to attend Mercy Central School of Nursing in Grand Rapids, becoming a registered nurse. When her sweetheart returned, Ruth and Bill were married on September 23,1951. Eager to begin their new lives together, Ruth and Bill settled into an apartment and decided to delay having children. During those early years as a young married couple Ruth worked as a nurse at Mercy Hospital. She and Bill liked to go dancing at the Blue Heaven in Twin Lake and also at the Hess Lake dances. There were plenty of fun family activities on the Schaefer side, too. In 1960 both Ruth and Bill were delighted to welcome their daughter, Terri, into their hearts and home. With the birth of their son, Alan, in 1962 their family of four was complete. Ruth absolutely loved being a mother, and she appreciated being a homemaker, too, which even included a love for things like cleaning the house and doing the ironing. They settled in Roosevelt Park for a few years and then moved to North Muskegon for a while before finally settling into a house on Cambridge in Norton Shores. There was no shortage of fun activities in the Schaefer family. They bought a cottage on Diamond Lake with her sister Grace and Graces husband, Bob. Every summer the two families spent nearly every weekend together there. Despite being packed into the little cabin the memories they created together were priceless. In fact, Ruth and Bill spent lots of time with Grace and Bob including for dinner dances at the Vikings or just playing cribbage at home. Ruth loved to cook and entertain. Every Christmas she hosted a party at her house, which was a 100 year tradition that she took over from her mother where they served the same menu and the kids always got oranges in their Christmas stockings. As a family there were also fun family vacations to Cedar Point, Henry Ford Museum, and the Upper Peninsula among several other places. No matter where they were the vacations were always educational, too. In addition to caring for her family, Ruth kept busy with other things, too. She spent several years working as a nurse for the Muskegon County Jail and also at a substance abuse clinic. She later took a position with the Muskegon County Health Department where she remained for 20 years until retiring in 1990. Ruth was a member of Central United Methodist Church where she taught Sunday school, a member of the Vikings, and never missed her appointment to get her nails done. She liked going to lunch with her friends and enjoyed regular visits with the neighbor children as they stopped by to see her. After Bill died in 1997 Ruth had a number of health issues to contend with. Her daughter moved in with her for nearly ten years. As she needed more care, Ruth moved into Knollview Nursing Home where she liked being taken care of, always had many visitors, and wasnt afraid to let the nurses know how thing ought to be done! Always willing to learn new things, Ruth was very tech savvy for someone her age as she even took a selfie just a few weeks ago. A woman of faith, Ruth Schaefer lived her life with others in mind. She had a great sense of humor and a zest for life that was contagious to all who were near. Ruth was a loving wife, devoted mother, and doting grandmother who treasured the time she spent with the ones she loved. She will be deeply missed but never forgotten. Ruth L. Schaefer died on Thursday, October 2, 2014. Ruths family includes her daughter, Terri Schaefer of Grand Rapids: son, Alan Schaefer of Muskegon; grandchildren, Morgan, Matt & Chris Schaefer; daughter-in-law, Michelle Schaefer of NY; many nieces and nephews. Ruth was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Ernest "Bill" Schaefer; sisters, Betty Rockcole and Grace Sietsema; brothers, Ike Kepford, Harry Kepford and Jim Kepford. Services will be held on Saturday, October 11, 2014, 12:00 p.m. with visitation 1 hour prior to the service at the Clock Chapel - Muskegon with Rev. Mark D. Miller officiating. Memorials can be made to Heartland Hospice of Grand Rapids or Heartland Health Care-Knollview. Please visit www.clockfuneralhome.com to leave a memory or sign the online guest book.