Ruth Scheel

Ruth M. Scheel, one of fifteen children of Roswell Leonard "R.L. Jim" and Laura Etta (Rush) White, was born at Stennet, Iowa on January 5, 1933. She attended school at Stennet and Red Oak, Iowa before the family moved to Malvern, Iowa in 1949. Ruth graduated from Malvern High School in 1951 and then worked in the dental office of Dr. James Beckwith in Malvern.
Ruth and Roger A. Scheel of Mineola, Iowa were married at St. John Lutheran Church in Mineola on December 23, 1953 while Roger was home on leave from the U.S. Air Force and the Korean War. After the war, Ruth and Roger were based in California and Florida until his discharge in 1959. Their marriage was blessed with two children, Rick and Rhonda.
They moved to Columbus, Nebraska, and then lived in several mid-western cities, before settling in Omaha, Nebraska in 1976. Ruth took a position as office manager for the Ralston-Purina Company where she remained until the facility was destroyed by a tornado in 1975, and her job was relocated to Lincoln, Nebraska. Over the next few years, Ruth worked as a temporary office employee for Omaha area businesses and developed a catering business she operated until her retirement. Her other enjoyments included crafting and attending garage sales.
On July 5, 2002, Ruth was hospitalized for three months following a heart attack and not being able to care for herself, moved to Life Care Center in Omaha. Ruth died at the Emergency Department of Nebraska Methodist Hospital on March 28, 2003 having attained the age of 70 years, 2 months, and 23 days.
Ruth was preceded in death by her parents and twin brother Robert White and sister Linda Foote. She is survived by her children Rick L. Scheel of Omaha and Rhonda K. Hoeg and her husband David of Norfolk, VA; sisters Maxine Norris and husband Lyle of Elliott, IA, Lorraine Wendt of Red Oak, IA, Norma Schultz and her husband Gordon of Grand Island, NE, Bettie McCunn of Greenfield, IA, Pat Williams and her husband Jack of Glenwood, IA, and Mary Jones and her husband Robert of Red Oak, IA; brothers Leo White and his wife Leah of Elliott, Billie White and companion Julia McGrew of Hastings, IA, John White and his wife Cody of Treynor, IA, Wayne White and his wife Ann of Elk Horn, IA, and Charles White of Essex, IA; three grandchildren; nieces and nephews; other relatives and friends.