Ruth E. Clements

Private funeral services will be held at a later date. Hertz Funeral Home of Glenwood, IA in charge of arrangements. Ruth Ellen Clements, one of three children of Theodore and Lydia Nyman Swanberg, was born on October 5, 1925 on a farm between Pender and Emerson, Nebraska. The family moved to a farm closer to Emerson where Ruth graduated from high school in 1941. Ruth moved to Omaha, Nebraska where she attended stenographer school and soon took a job as office manager for a local insurance company. Ruth and Donald Wallace Clements had been high school sweethearts. Following Don's discharge from the U.S. Marines, Ruth and Don were married at Emerson on February 10, 1946. They established their first home in Omaha where Ruth continued her work and Don studied electrical engineering. Don accepted a position as a communications troubleshooter for the Burlington & Quincy Railroad. Don and Ruth moved to Aurora, Illinois from where they traveled thirteen states for Don's work. In 1952, they returned to Omaha where Don accepted a promotion to supervise the Omaha Division. That same year, Ruth and Don were blessed with the birth of their daughter Karen. Ruth became a stay...[more]

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-home mother and homemaker and in 1960, son Brad was born making their family complete. The family moved to Glenwood, Iowa in 1964 where Karen and Brad graduated from high school. Ruth returned to work and became the Food Service Manager for the Glenwood School District. She retired in 1984 and Don retired the next year. They continued to maintain their Glenwood home and purchased a winter home at Harlingen, Texas where they enjoyed the winter months and new friendships. They recently sold their Texas home on February 1, 2004 and returned home to Glenwood the next day. Ruth enjoyed sewing and traveling with Don and the family. Each summer they enjoyed vacations to the mountains of Colorado and Wyoming and fishing trips to Minnesota. Ruth was a member of Grace United Methodist Church. Ruth and Don had been married for nearly 57 years when Ruth died suddenly at their Glenwood home on February 7, 2004. She had attained the age of 78 years, 4 months, and 2 days. Ruth was preceded in death by her parents; brothers Wayne Swanberg and Maurice Swanberg. She is survived by her husband Donald; their children Karen Hamilton of Milwaukee, Wisconsin and Brad Clements and his wife Sarah of Granby, Colorado; grandchildren Robert Doxey and Beth Owens and her husband Mike all of Janesville, Wisconsin; and great grandchildren Dylan Doxey and Ariana Topel also of Janesville; nieces and nephews; other relatives and friends.