"My thoughts and prayers are with Ruth and Randy. Ruth was a wonderful friend. I sat next to her at Mass at St. Cecilia?s for many years and we were in St. Anne?s Circle together. We went to lunch regularly and she was so much fun to be with, such a dear person. Jeanne Gehm"
In loving memory of
Ruth Mortimer
November 26, 1917 - August 28, 2020
Ruth Elizabeth Mortimer, age 102, passed away at her home in Ames, Iowa, on August 28, 2020. A gathering of friends and family will be at St. Cecilia Catholic Church, 2900 Hoover Ave., Ames, on Saturday, September 19, 2020 from 10:00-11:00 am with a Mass of Christian Burial to follow. Inurnment will be at Iowa Veterans Cemetery in Van Meter, Iowa on Monday, September 21, 2020 at 9:30 am.
Ruth was born on November 26, 1917 in Marshalltown, Iowa, the daughter of William E. and Elizabeth Hayes. She graduated from Marshalltown High School in 1935 and worked for Dr. Maynard Ukena, an Orthodontist in Marshalltown and Ames, for 43 years. Ruth married J. Randall Mortimer on May 8, 1955 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. After their first retirements, the two of them opened Mortimer Appraisals and worked together for 18 years before returning to retirement. Ruth was a member of St. Cecilia Catholic Church, St. Ann's Circle, and attended The United Church of Christ-Congregational with Randy as he attended St. Cecilia with her.
Ruth is survived by numerous nieces and nephews, grand-nieces and -nephews, and great-grand-nieces and -nephews, and by a large number of friends. She was proceeded in death by her parents, her brothers William and Philip, her sister Mary Hundley, and her beloved Randy.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that you donate in Ruth's memory to a charity supporting veterans or children. They also request that you remember Ruth for her humor, graciousness, and genuine concern for others.
Online condolences may be directed to: www.grandonfuneralandcremationcare.com
Tributes
"My prayers are with Ruth's family. I did alterations for Ruth for many years, even going to her home after I closed my shop in campustown.I always enjoyed my visits with her. I was just thinking of her the other day. I am saddened by her passing, but know how much she missed Randy. Such a sweet lady."
"I shall remember Ruth in my prayers. In these last years I always enjoyed my twice yearly visits with her at her home since she could no longer come weekly to Mass at St. Cecilia's. I always made sure she was the "last stop" on my rounds since we'd end up visiting for an hour at least sharing memories!"
"We were saddened to learn of Ruth's passing today. 45 years ago, I worked with Randy as a mortgage loan officer and he an appraiser. We were both raised in the Adel/Dallas Center area and had mutual acquaintances and memories. During appraisals, Randy and I would often would visit the house together and formed a fast friendship which extended to Ruth and my wife Kathy. Before our children began arriving, the four of us socialized a bit and those are cherished memories. We still have a coffee cup that held a plant that Ruth and Randy gave us when our first child was born and they gave our son a small doll (his Randy) which was his first bedtime companion toy. Every Christmas, we hang a small santa ornament, was also a gift from Ruth and Randy. 35 years after we met, we were reunited in friendship during Randy's last days in the nursing home where I worked. It was a gift to me to be able to care for Randy and Ruth during that difficult time. I was always impressed with Ruth's sincere kindness and care for our family. "