Ruth Anne Ohde

  Ruth’s family suggests memorial donations in her honor may be made to the West Central Iowa Healthcare Foundation, Planned Parenthood of the Heartland and the Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation.  

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Ruth Anne, daughter of William Franklin and Bernice Margaret (Dethlefs) Ohde, was born January 4, 1941 at Manning, Iowa.  She was the eldest of four children.  Following her graduation from Manning High School in 1958, Ruth earned her Bachelor of Science degree from Iowa State University in 1962 and Master of Science in 1976.  She also pursued her PhD degree in counseling through Drake University.  Ruth worked in research for the Atomic Energy Commission and taught high school physics and chemistry for a time. 

   Ruth was united in marriage with Ronald Dean Beaver in 1963 and two children were born to this union.  The family lived on a farm in Atlantic where she was a teacher.  Ruth was living in Ames when the call came from her Dad to join the family in the Ohde Funeral Home business.  She received her Mortuary Science degree from Southern Illinois University in 1979.  While studying in Carbondale and commuting back to Manning, she had a wonderful home with her husband Ron Niemann’s extended family.   Through her roles as a funeral director and business owner, Ruth lived her passion for helping and counseling people for 38 years.  She knew that success in her life’s mission was only possible with the committed and loyal employees of Ohde Funeral Home through the years.   Ruth cherished the opportunity to work with her father, her brothers John and Bill and her daughter Alison in this family legacy.  She was whole-heartedly committed to the funeral service profession, serving in many volunteer capacities from a local to national level.  Ruth was the first (and so far only) female president of the Iowa Funeral Directors’ Association.

    Ruth gave tirelessly of her talents and money to causes in which she believed.  Her love of her hometown Manning and its citizens was evident in her volunteer efforts for the Manning Heritage Foundation, West Central Iowa Healthcare Foundation, Manning Betterment Foundation, Rotary Club, Manning Regional Hospital Board of Directors and Community Foundation of Carroll County.   If anything surpassed these efforts, it was Ruth’s love, loyalty and support for her family.  This love for her family and their loved ones knew no bounds and was expressed in countless generous ways.  Ruth loved her animal family members, too, especially her cats.  She took many trips through the years and was so excited and open for each new experience. Although she loved to “go,” Ruth’s favorite place was her home, above the funeral home in Manning, surrounded by her lush plants and flowers.  Ruth held life-long beliefs in the power of education, the equality and dignity of all people and the excellence of the Iowa State Cyclones. 

   Ruth thought about retiring and “slowing down,” but never really warmed to the idea.  She suffered a massive stroke and died at Mercy Medical Center in Des Moines, Iowa on  September 27, 2017. She was 76 years, 8 months and 23  days of age.

   Ruth is preceded in death by her parents Bill and Bernie Ohde and  grandparents William and Frances (Brunnier) Ohde and George and Ida Margaret (Roggendorf) Dethlefs.  She is survived by her children: Ron Beaver and wife Jade of Redmond, WA; Alison River and husband Ron Reischl of Manning; daughter-in-law Kathleen Hogan of Woodinville, WA; grandchildren Abigail River and James Beaver; siblings: John and Jackie Ohde of Manning, along with their children, Sam, Ben and Sydney of Manning; William G. (Bill) Ohde and Mike Thompson of Palm Springs, CA; and Linda and George Farley of Boca Grande, FL; other relatives and countless friends.

Visitation

Sunday, October 1, 2017  4:00 – 8:00 PM

Hausbarn Konferenz Center

Manning, Iowa

Funeral Service

Monday, October 2, 2017  11:00 AM

  Hausbarn Konferenz Center

Manning, Iowa

Speakers

Suzanne Gebel    Ron Olson

 Sam Wegner    Kathleen Hogan

Ron Reischl

Music

Prelude, Postlude, Reception Music

Devon Carpenter, Harpist

“Over the Rainbow”  Sarah Vaughan

“Tears in Heaven”  Eric Clapton

“I’ll Be Seeing You”  Billie Holiday

Recorded Music

Casket Bearers

Sam Wegner    Ben Wegner    Deb Knueven   Bryce Schaben  

Mike Thompson   Ron Muhlbauer   Ron Olson   Dr. Doug Mc Laws

Luke Paulson    Rick ‘Boozer’ Dammann    Gene Steffes

Interment

Manning Cemetery, Manning, Iowa

There will be a time of sharing during the luncheon