Ruth M. Houts, age 74, of Fairchild, passed away peacefully at her residence on Monday, May 27, 2013 with her loving family at her bedside.
A funeral service will be held at 10:30AM on Saturday, June 1, 2013 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Unity. The Rev. Larry Sturgis will officiate. Visitation will be held on Saturday at the church in Unity from 9AM until time of service. A second funeral service will be held at 1:30PM on Sunday, June 2, 2013 at South Beef River Lutheran Church in rural Osseo. The Rev. Linda Marlett will officiate. Visitation will be held on Sunday at the church in rural Osseo from 12noon until time of services. Ruth will be laid to rest in Cleveland Township Cemetery privately at a later date. Acting as pallbearers will be Laura, Evan and Aaron Drew, Taylor, Hayden, Aubrey and Ashley Houts, Savannah and Madison Markee. Life Tributes Funeral Home and Cremation Service of Spencer is assisting the Houts family.
Ruth was born August 19, 1938 in Lima, Ohio, daughter of the late Rev. Carl and Naomi (Ritchie) Molter. She graduated from Cleveland Lutheran High School in Cleveland, Ohio and attended two years at St. Olaf College in Northfield, MN. On August 24, 1958 Ruth married Rev. Albert “Al” Houts in Beaver Falls, PA. Employment included work with Catholic Charities, data entry work at Krause Publishing in Iola. Her most memorable employment was working directly with and for former Wisconsin Republican Congressman Steve Gunderson. Hobbies included knitting, reading, watching Jeopardy on TV and enjoyed watching all the beautiful wildlife around her home. She liked watching her Minnesota Twins baseball and Vikings football games. For those that knew her, Ruth possessed great faith and supported the churches and their members that she and her husband Rev. Al were associated with. Ruth was instrumental in starting the Prayer Shawl Ministry at both Trinity Lutheran in Unity and South Beef River in Osseo, attended bible studies at both churches, helped out with Sunday school teaching, and became a mentor for confirmands. Ruth was a member of Trinity Lutheran Church in Unity, South Beef River Lutheran Church in Osseo and various woman’s church groups and social groups.
Survivors include her husband Rev. Albert “Al” Houts of Fairchild, four children: Rachael (David) Drew of Birchwood, MN; Robert (Jacalyn) Houts of Owen; Scott (Debra) Houts of Omro and Becky (Steve) Markee of Black River Falls; nine grandchildren: Laura, Evan and Aaron Drew, Taylor, Hayden, Aubrey and Ashley Houts, Savannah and Madison Markee; a sister-in-law Barbara Stern of Rock Falls, IL; two nephews, James Kowalka of New York and Leslie Stern of Chicago along with many other relatives and many friends. Ruth was preceded in death by her parents, one sister Marilyn Kowalka and one brother Johnny Molter. In lieu of flowers, memorials in Ruth’s name are being accepted to South Beef River Lutheran Church Prayer Shawl Ministry, The Trinity Lutheran Church Food Pantry in Unity or the Hospice Program for Black River Falls Memorial Hospital. Visit www.lifetributesfuneralhome.com to share thoughts and condolences with the family.