RUTH C. STIENEKE, 92, of Washta, Iowa, passed away Saturday morning, February 15, 2014 in the Cherokee Villa Nursing & Rehab Center.

Funeral services will be held on Tuesday, February 18th, at 10:30 a.m. from the Washta United Methodist Church. Rev. Barb Dinelli will officiate. Burial will be in the Sunset View Cemetery at Washta, Iowa. There will be a family prayer service at 10:15 a.m. at the church on Tuesday. Visitation will be on Monday from 2 p.m. until 8 p.m. with the family present from 6 p.m. until
7 p.m. at the Boothby Funeral Home in Cherokee. Online condolences can be left at www.boothbyfuneral.com

Ruth was born on July 3, 1921 at Watsonville, California to Reginald & Pearl (Bridgett) Patrick. The family moved to Iowa when Ruth was four years old and settled in the Meriden area. She graduated from Cleghorn High School in 1938. She attended Buena Vista College and received her teaching certificate in 1940. She was married to Alva D. Stieneke on March 15, 1941 at Jackson, Minnesota. She and her husband lived in the Cleghorn area until 1950 when they moved to their farm in Willow Township, rural Washta, Iowa. In later years she went back to college and received her B.A. Degree in Elementary Education from Buena Vista College in 1972. She taught school in Washta and Willow Community Schools for 25 years, retiring in 1982. She had been a resident of the Cherokee Villa since December of 2012. She was a longtime member of the Washta United Methodist Church, U.M.W., Washta Senior Citizens, Washta Cemetery Association, and numerous card clubs. She was a former member of the Order of Eastern Star. Ruth enjoyed quilting, crocheting, crossword puzzles, playing cards, putting puzzles together, traveling (many trips with Ruby Wych), and going out to eat with friends.

She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband Alva on September 8, 1996, two brothers, two sisters, and several brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law.

She is survived by her three children: Tom (Leone) Stieneke of Aurelia, Iowa; Karolyn (Marvin) Brown of Washta, Iowa; Keith Stieneke of Lincoln, Nebraska; 5 grandchildren: Gina (Lee) Foresman, Marla (Jon) Simonsen, Tom (Jodi) Stieneke, Dan (Lisa) Stieneke, Lana (Michael) Fillmore; 13 great grandchildren: Nate (Larie) Foresman,, Chad (Fiance Meagan Meyer) Foresman, Kayla Foresman, Derek Simonsen, Jacob Simonsen, Canyon and Brooke Stieneke, Elizabeth and David Stieneke, Samuel, Johanna, Declan and Nora Fillmore, also many nieces and nephews.