Ruth Tucker

Ruth Tucker, 104, of Winterset died Thursday, January 2, 2014. Funeral services will be held at 10:30 a.m., Tuesday, January 7, at the First United Methodist Church of Winterset with burial in the Moon Cemetery, Macksburg. A visitation will be held from 1 to 7 p.m., Monday, January 6 at Ochiltree Funeral Service; where family will be present to receive friends from 5 to 7 p.m. Memorials may be directed to the First United Methodist Church and the Madison County Historical Society. Ruth Lorraine Tucker was born on a farm near Macksburg in Madison County, Iowa on July 22, 1909, the daughter of James Ira and Mattie Eleanor (Cochran) Tucker. She grew up on the family’s farm near Macksburg and graduated from Macksburg High School in 1926. She went on to receive her BA from Simpson College in 1931 paving the way for her 40 year teaching career. She later received her Masters from the University of Wisconsin in 1952. Ruth began her teaching career as a country school teacher and went on to teach 20 years in the Winterset schools. Later she took a job as a school counselor at Mason City Junior High School where she worked for 21 years; retiring from teaching in 1974. She was a member of the First United Methodist Church in Winterset where she was active in UMW and Church Women United. She was also a member of P.E.O. Chapter AG of Winterset as well as a member of Current Topic Club and Delta Kappa Gamma, an honorary teachers’ club. Following her retirement she volunteered for many years for the Madison County Historical Society, the Madison County Memorial Hospital as well as all of the nursing homes where she read to residents until she was past 100. Ruth was a beloved teacher and she was instrumental in establishing the guidance program at the Mason City Junior High School. She was honored with a volunteer of the year award from West Bridge Care Center for having read to residences for 18 years. Other honors include receiving the Valiant Woman of the Year by Church Women United in 1988; Covered Bridge Festival Queen in 1989 and Citizen of the Year given by the Winterset Chamber of Commerce in 1993. In 2005, she entered the Iowa Federated Women’s Club writing contest where she received first place with an entry entitled, “An Unclaimed Jewel.” Ruth is survived by her brothers, Keith Tucker and wife, Ethel Lee Osborn of Winterset; Max Tucker and wife, Mary Jo of Macksburg; sister-in-law, Darlene Tucker of Branson, MO; many nieces, nephews, extended family and a host of friends. She was preceded in death by her parents; two brothers, Dean (Dorothy) Tucker and Blaine Tucker, and four sisters, Helen (Clinton) Walter, Eleanor (Art) Wickstrand, Kathryn (Max) Kyner, and Jean (Wilmont) Perkins (Howard) Greenwood.