Ruth M. Keeling, 88, of Charles City, died Tuesday, September 20, 2011, at the Floyd County Medical Center in Charles City.
A funeral Mass for Ruth Keeling will be held 11 a.m. Friday at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Charles City. Reverend Carl Ries will celebrate the Mass. Burial will be in Calvary Cemetery, Charles City.
Friends may call at the Hauser Funeral Home in Charles City from 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday where the Rosary will be prayed at 6:30 p.m. Visitation will continue after 10 a.m. Friday at the Church.
Ruth Mary Merfeld was born July 26, 1923, in Marble Rock, the daughter of George H. and Cecelia Bridget (Loughren) Merfeld. She graduated from Sacred Heart Academy in Greene. On December 5, 1943, she was united in marriage to Ercyl E. Keeling at Camp Adair, in Corvallis, Ore. Over the years, Ruth was employed at Salsbury Laboratories and Oliver/White Farm. Ruth was a member of Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, longtime member of the choir and Sacred Heart Guild. Her interests included sewing, needle work, crocheting, big band and classical music, gardening and growing flowers. She especially enjoyed her time doing crossword puzzles and Sudoku. Ruth taught English to Vietnamese immigrants and generously helped others.
Living family members include her four children, Denise (Marvin) Bates of Evansville, Ind., Linda Dannan of Manchester, Mo., David Keeling of Davenport and Mark Keeling of Comanche; eight grandchildren; two great grandchildren; two sisters, Margaret (Russell) Tolliver of Charles City and Lucille (Tom) Cronin of Nashua; brother, Maurice “Mick” (Sharon) Merfeld of Nashua; and three sisters-in-law, Eunice Merfeld of Tucson, Ariz., Pauline Merfeld of Sun City, Ariz. and Grace Merfeld of Des Moines.
She was preceded in death by her parents; husband on August 8, 2011; and five brothers, Louis, Paul, James, Eugene and Charles.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to Meals on Wheels.
The Hauser Funeral Home, (641) 228-2323, in Charles City, is in charge of arrangements. Online condolences may be left for the family at www.hauserfh.com.
