Minnie (Gruis) RUITER STILLE

STILLE, GRUIS, STADTLANDER, RUITER, RONSEN, NICKSON, KORN, BYARS, CHRISTIANSEN, SCHUETT, WOLTERS, BRIDGES, CARLSON, MEINTS, BEIER, SCHAEFER

Posted By: Sarah Thorson Little (email)
Date: 8/1/2009 at 11:30:39

July 30, 2003
Mason City Globe Gazette, Iowa

CLEAR LAKE - Minnie Stille, 90, of Clear Lake, formerly of Thornton, died Monday (July 28, 2003) at Muse Norris Hospice Inpatient Unit. Funeral services will be at 10 a.m. Thursday at the First United Methodist Church in Thornton with the Rev. Dan Voss officiating. Interment will be in the Meservey Cemetery. Visitation will be from 5 to 7 p.m. today at the Retz-Grarup Funeral Home in Thornton.

Minnie was born July 16, 1913, in rural Meservey, Franklin County, the daughter of Jakobus and Louise Pauline (Stadtlander) Gruis. She attended country school in Windsor Township. On Oct. 11, 1930, Minnie was united in marriage with Henry Ruiter. They farmed in the Meservey area until Henry's death on Nov. 30, 1949. On June 1, 1955, Minnie married Kermit Stille. They farmed in the Thornton area until they retired and moved into Thornton in March of 1972. Kermit died June 9, 1994. Minnie was a member of First United Methodist Church and a member of the United Methodist Women's Group. She also belonged to the Thornton Sr. Citizens. She enjoyed many fishing trips and playing cards with her family and friends.

She is survived by her son, Merlin (Phyllis) Ruiter, of Meservey; stepsons, Jerry (Marlys) Stille, of Mission, Texas, Richard (Joyce) Stille, of Swaledale; grandchildren, Roxanne (Kurt) Ronsen, of Westminster, Colo., Ritchie Ruiter, of Clear Lake; stepgrandchildren, Barbara (Lee) Nickson, of Lake Mills, Denise (Timothy) Korn, of Emmons, Minn., Jeffrey (Karen) Stille, of Ankeny, Curtis (Pamela) Stille, of Swaledale; stepgreat-grandchildren, Brook (Justin) Byars, of Martensdale; Toni Christiansen, of Martensdale, Brett Nickson, of Lake Mills; Joshua Stille, of Ankeny; Shaena (Neal) Schuett, of Iowa City; Danielle, Jacob and Michelle Stille, of Swaledale; Anna and Justin Korn, of Emmons, Minn.; stepsister, Martha Ruiter, of Clarion; sister-in-law, Agnes Gruis, of Clear Lake; brother-in-law, Willie (Vera) Ruiter, of Forest City; half sister-in-law, Gladys Wolters, of Belmond; step sisters-in-law, Violet Wolters, of Belmond; Fern Carlson, of Clear Lake; Lucille (Cecil) Bridges, of Thornton; Ina Stille and Grace Stille, both of Garner; and many nieces, nephews and cousins. Minnie is preceded in death by husbands, Henry Ruiter and Kermit Stille; stepgrandson, Rodney Stille; her parents; stepfather, Harry Wolters; brothers, Herman, John, Louie and Bernard Gruis; sisters, Pauline Meints and Tena Ruiter; half brother, Clarence Wolters; stepbrothers, Fred and Elwin Wolters; sisters-in-law, Eula Elizabeth and Mildred Gruis, and Gertrude Beier; stepsister-in-law, Reka Wolters; brothers-in-law, Alfred Meints and Fred Ruiter; stepbrothers-in-law, Quentin, George and Virgil Stille, Elmer Schaefer and Elmer Beier. Retz-Grarup Funeral Home.