Ruth Reiff

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. Ruth Reiff, age 92, of Sleepy Eye, MN died Thursday, July 26, 2007 at the Divine Providence Community Home in Sleepy Eye. 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.