Tuel, Mrs.Leonard (Ruby) 1919-2009

TOEL, CAMPEN, BRAWE, VOLLMUTH, PURVIS, MCKENZIE, CROOM

Posted By: Janet M. Schuldt (email)
Date: 9/28/2021 at 12:56:01

Coon Rapids Enterprise, Coon Rapids, Iowa Thursday, July 2, 2009 Page 5

~ Services for Ruby Tuel

Funeral will be held Thursday, July 2 at 10:00 A.M. at Roland Funeral Home in Atlantic for Ruby Tuel. Rev. Lanette (Pollock) Plambeck, of First United Methodist Church in Atlantic, will officiate. The committal service will be in the Massena Cemetery in Massena following the funeral. Roland Funeral Service is caring for Ruby's family and the arrangements. Condolences may be left at the Roland we site, www.rolandfuneralservice. com.

RUBY I. TUEL

Ruby I. Tuel, 89, a longtime resident of Atlantic, passed away unexpectedly at Avoca Nursing & Rehab Center on Saturday, June 27.

Ruby Irene was born the daughter of George and Anna (Campen) Brawe in Massena, Iowa on November 5, 1919. She grew up in Massena, attending school and graduating where she would become a country school teacher. She lived with her parents in their home while she taught for over six years. As a teacher, she had to build the fire when it was cold, scoop the snow, sweep floors and carry water. She also told the story about cleaning the outdoor toilets, noting it was a job she would rather forget.

Her contract stated that she had to be 18 years old, and if she got married, the contract became null and void. After she had taught at Massena No. 5 for six years, she thought maybe the school needed a change of teacher so she moved along, only to return to the school she had missed so much. That lasted only three months, as "Penny Tuel," the man of her dreams, moved into her picture.

As surprising turns of events took place in both Ruby's and Penny's lives, they became acquainted through her housekeeping and cooking job and Penny's farming employment for the famed Roswell Garst family - hosts of Nikita Khrushchev, in Coon Rapids. Ruby was paid a dollar a day while she worked for Mrs. Garst.

Penny went to the service on October 17, 1941, and wasn't allowed to return or come home at all until he was discharged on October 17, 1945. He was not allowed to visit home during those years, even when his parents passed away. When he was finally discharged from Okinawa, Ruby had the high light of her life when her brother took her to meet Penny at the train station in Atlantic.

Ruby was married to Leonard H. "Penny" Tuel in Atlantic on November 10, 1945, in Malvern, Iowa. The couple was blessed with a family of three children. As the children grew, she became a Penney's Department Store employee where she worked until retirement in 1983. She was a member of the First United Methodist Church. Her endeared hobbies and interests included gardening (she especially enjoyed geraniums and petunias), cooking, and watching her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren grow up.

Her family will fondly remember her wonderful sense of humor.

Ruby's survivors include her husband Penny of Atlantic; daughter Vicki Vollmuth of Omaha, NE, sons, Rodger Tuel and his wife Nancy of Berthoud, CO and Tim Tuel and his wife Denise of Shelby; a sister Elsie Purvis of Grand Island, NE, a sister-in-law Millree Brawe of Massena; grandchildren, Joel and Troy Tuel of Denver, CO; Amelia Tuel, Alyssa Tuel and Taylor Tuel of Shelby; Chris Vollmuth and wife Julie of Omaha, NE, Jenny McKenzie and husband Ben of Omaha, NE, Missy Croom and husband Nate of Omaha, NE; Matt Vollmuth and wife Katie of Omaha, NE; great-grandchildren, Grace, Lucy and Sam Vollmuth, Maddie and Mollie McKenzie and Ava Croom, all of Omaha, NE, nieces, nephews, friends and family.

She was preceded in death by her parents George and Anna Brawe, brothers, Art, Harold, and Elmer Brawe; sisters-in-law, Fern Brawe and Dorothy Brawe; brother-in-law Elmer Purvis; and son-in-law Lyle L. Vollmuth.