Ruth Anna Mae (Figi) McCURRY

CURRY, FIGI, BYERS, LUCHSINGER, LOOMIS, EEKHOFF, REICHTER, HILTON, MOHN, BLONG, KRUGER, ENGSTROM, SADLER, MACHA, KUBLY

Posted By: Sarah Thorson Little (email)
Date: 2/10/2024 at 13:06:54

Ruth McCurry
November 14, 1919 ---- July 10, 2019

Funeral services will be held at 10:30 AM on Saturday, July 13, 2019, at United Methodist Church, Renwick. Visitation will be held one hour prior to the service at the church. Burial will be in Swiss Cemetery, Renwick. Ruth asked that in lieu of flowers, memorial funds be directed to Casamea.org or McCurrys in Missions.

Ruth was born Noel Byers on November 14, 1919, at the Hillcrest Deaconess Home and Baby Fold in Dubuque, Iowa. On May 7, 1921, she was adopted by Sebastian Paul and Anna Marie (Luchsinger) Figi. They renamed her Ruth Anna Mae Figi and raised her in a loving Christian home in Renwick, Iowa. She was baptized and confirmed in the Evangelical Church.

Ruth attended school in Renwick and graduated from Renwick High School in 1937, after which she attended Iowa State Teachers College for a year. On May 4, 1940, Ruth married Duane Austin McCurry in the home where she was raised. Duane and Ruth had three children, Dennis Duane, David Paul, and Mary Ellen. All three children were baptized and confirmed in the Evangelical Church, where the family faithfully attended and served. Ruth taught Sunday School for many years, and she and Duane also served their church in many other areas.

Their home was always open to anyone stopping by, especially friends of their children. Ruth was invariably prepared to offer a lunch or meal to anyone who popped in, even unexpectedly. She loved to bake and share her baked goods (sometimes in very welcome care packages for her grandkids in college). She taught her granddaughters how to make her favorite butterhorn rolls, and shared her witty sense of humor while doing it. She also taught her many granddaughters to sew and stitch, and patiently unknotted many tangled projects for them. Doing needlework and writing letters were two of her favorite pastimes. She also loved music, was an accomplished pianist, and served as accompanist for many events at school and church.

Ruth often said that her very favorite hobby was keeping house. Cooking and cleaning weren't really "chores" to her; she just couldn't abide dust and clutter in her domain. When Duane was alive, he had to keep a firm grip on the daily paper or it might disappear into the trash before he finished reading it! She was an energetic woman, and a 10-minute power nap was usually all it took to make her refreshed and ready to tackle her busy day again. If Heaven needs any "tidying up," Ruth is no doubt doing it!

For 15 years, Ruth and Duane enjoyed traveling throughout the United States in their RV, or "mini-home," as she liked to call it. They spent winters in Texas, Arizona, and Florida, but the Rio Grande Valley of Texas was their favorite. They spent all but three of their southern winters there, forming many close friendships with other "snowbirds" they met in the RV parks.

After farming southwest of Renwick for 40 years, they retired and moved to Belmond in 1981, and joined the United Methodist Church there. Ruth moved to The Meadows in Clarion in September of 2008 and changed her membership back to the Renwick United Methodist Church. In her last years, Ruth was the oldest living member of that church. Because her mind remained sharp, she was a fount of information regarding the "old days" in Renwick.

Ruth passed away on July 10, 2019, in Clarion, Iowa, at the age of 99.

She was preceded in death by her adoptive parents, Paul and Anna, in 1925 and 1955, respectively, her husband, Duane, on December 31, 1999, and one great-granddaughter, Megan Marie Loomis, in 1984.

Ruth's family was her pride and joy. She is survived by her three children: Dennis (Elaine) McCurry, David (Mary Jo) McCurry, and Mary Ellen Eekhoff, and her nine grandchildren: Angela (Randy) Loomis, Blaine (Lori) McCurry, Jill (Bradley) Reichter, Jennifer (Thomas) Hilton, Kristen (John) Mohn, Theresa (John) Blong, Paula (Michael) Kruger, Crystal (Joshua) Engstrom, and Sue Ann (Adam) Sadler.

Also surviving are 23 great-grandchildren and 13 great-great-grandchildren, with another due in August; special farmer friends, Ellis Macha and Tony Kubly.

https://www.oakcrestfuneralservices.com/obituary/319840/Ruth-McCurry/