Ruth Ellen Rose

Ruth Ellen Rose, age 90, of The Plains, and a long-time resident of Harmony Rd., Athens, died Saturday, September 26, 2015, in O'Bleness Memorial Hospital at Athens, with her family at her side.

Born May 17, 1925, at Zanesville, she was a daughter of the late George R. and Gayle M. (Slenker) Evans. At a young age, Ruth moved with her family to Athens when her father took a job as a civil engineer and surveyor with the City of Athens. Following her graduation from Athens High School in 1943, Ruth was employed by the former Athens Ice Co. After the war, she met Harry E. Rose, a returning soldier from South Canaan Rd. The couple married on May 6, 1951, and moved to the country, a difficult transition for a city girl who was used to the convenience of indoor plumbing and had a fear of chickens (and she had to gather eggs daily). They later purchased a home on Harmony Rd. where they reared two daughters and three sons. Ruth was a devoted wife and mother who, though sometimes hard to deal with herself, instilled kindness and responsibility in her children.

Ruth often referred to herself as "just an old farm woman," but she was a voracious reader and kept abreast of national and world events. She especially liked watching the birds (sometimes musing about being one herself) and other wildlife around her home.

She was a member of the Canaanville United Methodist Church for over sixty years.

She is survived by her loving family, which includes her daughters, Harriet (Charlie) Walcutt of Gretna, Nebraska, and Betsy (Mark) Wideman of New Philadelphia; her sons, George Rose of Greenfield, John Rose of The Plains, and Jim (Cathy) Rose of Gahanna; her grandchildren, Ryan (Angie) and Jay Rose, Julie and Charles (Annie) Walcutt, Jennifer (Greg) Perdue, Evan, Daniel and Molly Rose; her great-granddaughter, Annabelle Walcutt; her brother, David (Nancy) Evans of Cincinnati; her sister-in-law, Pat Evans of Granville; her bothers-in-law, Tom Rose of Athens, and Dick (Sharon Haffner) Rose of Lancaster; and her many nieces and nephews.

In addition to her parents, Ruth was preceded in death by her beloved Harry on June 14, 2008; her granddaughter, Amanda Rose; her sister and brother-in-law, Nancy and Doug Anders; her brother, John Evans; her brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law, Karl and Wanda, Ray and Dolores, and Marion and Hester Rose, Howard "Rowdy" and Pauline Pond, Helen and Dwight "Scotty" Scott, Susan and Mary Rose; and her nieces and nephew, Diana Evans, Jane Zollo and Evan Anders.

A committal service for her cremated remains will be held Wednesday, October 7, at 11 a.m., in Canaanville Cemetery, 15650 McAfee Rd., Athens, with Rev. James S. Lambert officiating. Arrangements are by the Toland-Herzig Funeral Home & Crematory at Dover. To sign an online guestbook and share a fond memory of Ruth, please visit the Obituaries and Flowers link on the Toland-Herzig website, www.tolandherzig.com.

Her family wishes to acknowledge the extraordinary care that John Rose selflessly provided Ruth in her later years, which allowed her to happily remain in her own home Thank You So Very Much, John.

Contributions in Ruth's memory may be made to Canaanville United Methodist Church, 15650 McAfee Rd., Athens, Ohio 45701, or to the charity of the donor's choice.