SIMMERMAN, Ruth Ellen (BARNETT)

BARNETT, DOBSON, SIMMERMAN, DEWILD, SMITH, ELLIS, HEIN, SCHULDT, JONES, MORGAN

Posted By: Sharon R Becker (email)
Date: 7/9/2016 at 01:41:43

Obituary ~ Ruth Ellen (Barnett) Simmerman
August 22, 1908 ~ December 07, 2001

Ruth Ellen Simmerman, daughter of George Washington and Eldora Ellen Dobson Barnett, was born Aug. 22, 1908, at Givin and died Dec. 7, 2001, at her home at Westview Acres in Leon. She was 93.

She was a member of the Eddyville Christian Church until the family moved to Van Wert in 1921. She transferred her membership to the Van Wert Christian Church. Mrs. Simmerman spent most of her adult life in Decatur County.

She graduated from Van Wert High School. She married Hoyle Raymond Simmerman on Sept. 14, 1927, at Newton. Three years to the day their first daughter, Viola Faye was born. The couple became the parents of two more children, Merrill Wray and Wanda Mae.

Mrs. Simmerman was owner and operator of the Van Wert Cafe for many years. She began work as a server at Younkers Tea Room in 1955. Later she was a telephone operator in Van Wert until it ceased operation and she retired.

Baking pies was something Ruth enjoyed. She made them for her cafe, her daughter’s cafe and to sell at the Humeston sale barn for her church. She raised a huge garden and canned or froze the harvest. She also made quilts and made sure each of her family had one.

Mrs. Simmerman was active in the Van Wert Assembly of God Church and the Van Wert Lioness Club until she moved to Westview Acres on Jan. 4, 1993.

Preceding her in death were her parents; husband on Sept. 18, 1969; four sisters, infant Mabel Barnett, Millie DeWild, Nellie Smith and Erma Ellis; and infant brother, Roy Barnett; sister-in-law, Mary Hein; two sons-in-law, Layton Schuldt and Worth Jones; daughter-in-law, Dolores Simmerman and granddaughter-in-law, Shirley Jones.

She is survived by her two daughters, Viola Jones of Van Wert and Wanda Schuldt of Bentonville, Ark.; a son, Wray Simmerman and his wife, Kim Simmerman, of Reynoldsburg, Ohio; seven grandchildren, Bill Jones and his wife, Sandy Jones, of Kansas City, Kan., Jerry Jones and his wife, Debbie Jones, of Conyers, Ga., Kevin Simmerman and his wife, Terri Simmerman, of Northville, Mich., Keith Simmerman of Reynoldsburg, Howard Schuldt and his wife, Nancy Schuldt, of Osceola, Denny Schuldt and his wife, Jeanette Schuldt, of Auxvasse, Mo. and Denise Morgan and her husband, Tim Morgan, of Rogers, Ark.; 22 great-grandchildren and four great-great-grandchildren; numerous other relative and friends.

Services for Mrs. Simmerman were Dec. 10 at the Assembly of God Church in Van Wert, the Rev. Max Carmichael officiating. Organist Connie Hook accompanied soloist Bud Hook as he sang In the Garden and Precious Memories.

Casket bearers were Vernon Binning, Dennis Fierce, Wendell Jones, Kevin Schuldt, Bill Tiedje, Malcolm Tiedje, Bob Tompkins and Wayne West. Honorary bearers were her grandchildren, Bill Jones, Jerry Lee Jones, Denise Morgan, Denny Schuldt, Howard Schuldt, Keith Simmerman and Kevin Simmerman.

Interment was in the Van Wert Cemetery.

Transcription by Sharon R. Becker, July of 2016