Ruth J. Kuhlmann

Ruth Josephine Kuhlmann was born to Percy and Bertha Brown on September 14, 1927, at Dow City, Iowa. When Ruth was six months old, her mother died and she was adopted three days later by an aunt and uncle, Ralph and Josephine Igou. She died Monday, August 7, 2017, at the Crawford County Memorial Hospital in Denison, Iowa, at the age of eighty-nine.
Ruth was baptized and confirmed July 9, 1944, at Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Dow City. She graduated, with honors, from the Dow City High School in 1945. She was employed with the J.C. Penney company following her graduation.
On January 27, 1946, she was united in marriage to Edgar Kuhlmann. To this union, two children were born, Diane in 1947 and Dennis in 1950. Edgar and Ruth were privileged to observe their sixtieth wedding anniversary in 2006. When the children were grown and gone from home, Ruth went to work as editor of the Charter Oak-Ute newspaper. Following her employment at the paper, she worked several years for Lois Butler at Nigg Store. Edgar and Ruth lived on various farms in the Charter Oak area and moved to their home in Charter Oak in 1985 and farmed until 1988, when they retired.
Ruth was active in St. John Lutheran Church in Charter Oak, where she was a Sunday School teacher for many years. She served the Ladies Aid as vice president, served the LWML as secretary and historian and on the Altar Committee. She was a member of The Willow Modern Homemakers until the club dissolved and was also a member of the Charter Oak Clubettes. She was an avid Chicago Cubs fan and was also a faithful Charter Oak-Ute Bobcat fan. She loved to read and enjoyed morning devotions.
Ruth was a loving wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother and great-great-grandmother, enjoying any time she could be with her family. Ruth suffered many years with severe degenerative arthritis and was hospitalized many times.
Ruth was preceded in death by her husband; both sets of parents; four brothers: Thomas in infancy, Robert (Dewey), LeRoy and Ralph (Brownie); a great-grandson, Christian; and four sisters-in-law, Ruth, Molly, Vernet; and Darlene and her husband, Ed; brothers-in-law, Vernon and his wife, Bernice; Kenneth and his wife, Dee. Survivors include: one daughter, Diane and her husband, Darrell; one son, Dennis and his wife, Patty; five grandsons; one granddaughter; seventeen great-grandchildren; nine great-great-grandchildren; other relatives and friends.