ATWELL, Ruth

The Verde Independent, Cottonwood, Arizona, Saturday, November 07, 2015 Ruth Kearns Atwell of Camp Verde passed peacefully away to her heavenly home in the comfort of Hospice at Country Care in Cottonwood at 11:16 am on Thursday Oct 29th. After 92 yrs. 9 mo. 23 days since birth in Colfax, Iowa, Ruth remained sharp, witty and at times surprisingly humorous and personally grateful and thankful for her many dear Friends, Doctors, Nurses, Therapists, Caretakers, Hospice and St. Francis Cabrini Clergy - all contributing so very much to the quality of life Ruth experienced during both the challenging and the healthy feeling-good enjoyable times. By marriage to Leland George Atwell of Cedarburg WI, Ruth raised sons Thomas, Steven, Robert & Phillip; 9 grandchildren: Tonya, Tyson, Nikki, Sedona, Jessica, Tanner, Chance, Tammy, Christopher, Heather; and 11 great grandchildren. Ruth was the first-born of four children to Frank and Clare (Tiess) Kearns of modest means. Her siblings were Frank Jr (Bud), Gloria, and Joanie (2, 4 and 7 yrs. younger). Her father was an X-ray machine Technologist & Researcher-Inventor employed by the U.S. Government first in Colfax Iowa; subsequently assigned to downtown Chicago; then New York City. Her mother, Clare was very well educated with strong aptitudes in English, math, geography, and business accounting and financial planning. From early childhood, Ruthie, was strong-willed, brave, independent, precocious, responsible girl, always yearning to serve a good humanitarian cause. At age 7, mother ill with Leukemia and little brother deaf (early childhood Scarlet Fever) -she navigated the busy streets of downtown Chicago via metro transit to get him to and his School for the Deaf, then on to her own to school - and the reverse after school. Age 18-20, lived in New York City working at Macy's in Manhattan on, Broadway & 34th as Accounting Clerk. At 22, wooed back to Cedarburg, WI to marry high school beau Lee Atwell, physicist/farmer/machinist. A caring mom, she saw to it that her boys were raised to walk tall and live life as Jesus taught. Adaptation from a big city-gal to a remote farm was a difficult transition she endured for some 23 years. A few years after her husband Lee's passing, at age 55, Ruth embarked on a Path of Service: Three years for St. Joseph's Parish in Kenosha, WI, teaching Jr. High students English, math and geography and history; Years 56-64: Full-time secretarial and housekeeping for various priests in the Carlsbad, CA; Age 65-67: Guardian and chauffeur for an elderly woman in the hills of Riverside, CA; Age 68-76: Worked for Telecommunications Dept. at the Veterans Hospital in La Jolla CA; Age 77-78: Semi-retired to Hawesville, KY area to spend time with son Steve and wife Debbie's family - worked in Arts & Crafts Dept. at their Grey Wolf Studio. In evenings she studied oil-painting and received classroom and personal tutelage from Studio Director and Artisan Debbie Atwell. Age 78-79: Back to full-time employment commuting to U. of Kentucky, Louisville campus serving as Administrative Assistant. Shortly thereafter and following the Sept 2001 Anthrax Attacks, she volunteered to be the University's Incoming Mail Screener for Anthrax contamination - donning a rather large Army issued gas mask, trooper Ruth following Federal procedures for opening and inspected the university mail! The real upside during this period is that Ruth discovered her passion & talent for oil-painting and capturing true-to-life facial expressions in the portraits she put to canvas! In 2003 she returned to San Diego area to spend time with son Tom and wife Christine's family and pursue painting. In 2007 she accompanied the family to Camp Verde, AZ. Just days after arrival, Ruth started volunteering her service to St Francis Cabrini Conference of the St. Vincent de Paul Society - dedicated to grow spirituality by seeking out and helping the poor. She received and mastered comprehensive SVdP training to develop specific skills and methodology in working one-on-one with the poor and destitute. Earning the title SVdP Vincentian," she put her new skills to work for the next few years in the Verde Valley, delivering food, generating vouchers for gas, propane, rents, etc., and mentoring those who lost their jobs to get them back on their feet. In this capacity Ruth thrived both spiritually and emotionally - she re-blossomed within, you might say. The family would like to extend great thanks to the St. Francis Cabrini clergy and parish, and her many dear friends in the CV community for providing Ruth these opportunities she enjoyed so much, and the loving care they bestowed on her during the many recovery periods she faced in the latter years of her life. We remain eternally grateful. Information provided by survivors.