Beth Reiff Obituary

Ruth Reiff, age 92, of Sleepy Eye, MN died Thursday, July 26, 2007 at the Divine Providence Community Home in Sleepy Eye. Funeral services will be held on Tuesday, August 7th at 2pm at the St. Mary's Catholic Church in Sleepy Eye. Lunch to follow in the St. Mary's social room. Interment in the New Ulm Catholic Cemetery. Visitation will be held at the Sturm Funeral Home in Sleepy Eye on Monday from 5-7pm and on Tuesday from 9am to 1:30pm. There will be a Parish Prayer Service at 6:30pm on Monday at the funeral home. Email condolences may be sent at www.sturmfh.com Arrangements with the Sturm Funeral Home in Sleepy Eye. Flowers may be sent to the Sturm Funeral Home in Sleepy Eye, Minnesota or donations in lieu of flowers to the Sturge-Weber Foundation PO Box 418 Mt. Freedom, NJ 07970-0418 USA Phone: 800-627-5482 or www.sturge-weber.org Ruth was born on July 24, 1915 on a farm near Fairfax, Minnesota. She was married in 1938 to Arthur Reiff in Kent, Minnesota. A daughter, Sheila Mae was born in 1941. Twin sons, David Arthur and Ronald Paul were born in 1943. In 1947 another son, Francis Henry was born. In 1952, the family moved to Colorado Springs, Colorado. Jerome Arthur was born in 1954. Ruth worked in the Divine Redeemer grade school cafeteria until 1968 when the family moved back to Minnesota and settled in Sleepy Eye. Ruth worked as a medical assistant in the Divine Providence Community Home in Sleepy Eye for 17 years until her retirement in 1985 following her husband Arthur's death. Ruth loved to play her ukulele and sing. Her passion for music started at age 11 with a banjo-uke. Later she sang with her two sisters, Violet and Irene and were occasionally asked to sing for a Redwood Falls, Minnesota radio station. She and her husband Arthur played in various musical ensembles until Arthur's death in 1985. Ruth continued to play and sing until just weeks before her passing. Ruth was a member of St Mary's Catholic Church, the Catholic Order of Forresters, the Sleepy Eye Senior Citizens Club, the Countryside Retirement Community, and various other bible study and community groups. She is survived by sons Francis and Jerome, granddaughter Susan, grandsons Jason and Brandon, great-granddaughters Chanel and Allison, great-grandson Thomas. Ruth will be deeply missed by all who knew her. Mrs. Reiff was preceded in death by her husband Arthur, her daughter Sheila, sons David and Ronald, and a granddaughter, Shawna.