Ruth Ann Demaster's Obituary
Ruth Ann DeMaster passed away as a result of cancer on November 8, 2015, at 11:15 a.m. She entered the hospital on August 24 and was release to home Hospice care September 25.Ruth Ann DeMaster, nee Van Stelle, was born on March 26, 1949 in Sheboygan Wisconsin. She was the oldest daughter of Matthew and Dorothy Van Stelle. Ruth Ann grew up in Oostburg, Wisconsin, where she attended Oostburg Christian Elementary School and Oostburg Public High. She developed a love and ability in music in those years taking piano and flute lessons, and participating in church and school choirs, and school band. She married John DeMaster in 1970 and graduated from Dordt College in Sioux Center, IA in 1971. They spent two years together in Germany while John was in the service and primarily lived in the Midwest until moving to Fort Myers in 2010.Ruth Ann volunteered and participated in many ways wherever she lived. This included an active volunteer role in pro-life organizations while in MN and WI; tutoring in St. Louis for thirteen years and later in Rochester, NY; supporting MOPS as a mentor in Rochester and as a child care provider for MOPS in Fort Myers. In Fort Myers she sang in the Mastersingers and served on their Board of Directors. She also volunteered as a driver for Meals on Wheels organized by CCMI. She volunteered as the librarian at Summit Christian School for three years and loved promoting reading good books to children.Ruth Ann played the organ for churches and services in nursing homes in each of the locations where she lived; and was always willing to use her abilities and give of her time for others. Most of all she enjoyed each of her sixteen grandchildren. She traveled frequently to spend time with them and loved teaching them crafts and reading to them. Crafts she pursued included cross stitch, knitting, crocheting, and most of all quilting. Each of her grandchildren received a quilt at age three. She loved making quilts for other people and each was a labor of love as she thought about and prayed for the person for whom she was making the quilt.Ruth Ann is survived by her husband John DeMaster; her children, Reuben and Tessa DeMaster, Peter DeMaster, Nathan and Stacy DeMaster, and Colleen and Michael DeJong; her grandchildren Annika, Simeon, Caleb, Brigitta, Blaise, Isaac, Julia, Jack, Gwendolyn, Isadora, Abby, Ashley, Stephen, Mattias, Kate, and Lexi; her siblings Jean and Roger Karsten, Cheryl and Peter Hill, Linda and Carl Roethel, and Ken and Christie Van Stelle.Friends are invited to join the family at a memorial service on November 21 at 3:00 p.m. in Westminster Presbyterian Church located at 9065 Ligon Court in Fort Myers, 33908. Flowers may be sent to the church though family would encourage you to make a donation in memory of Ruth Ann to one of the organizations she faithfully supported. These would include Community Cooperative Ministries Inc., the Mastersinger, WPC missions, and Restore St. Louis, or perhaps a worthy organization that is dear to your heart. Donations should be made directly to the organization or sent to Westminster Presbyterian Church, 9065 Ligon Court, Fort Myers, FL 33908. Please designate the ministry you wish to support. There will be a ceremony on November 23 at Sarasota National Cemetery.We want to thank Hope Hospice Care for the assistance they gave when Ruth Ann returned home the end of September and to the members of Westminster Presbyterian Church for the love and support they gave during this difficult time, for their prayers, words of encouragement, and respite provided.CCMI (Community Cooperative Ministries, Inc.) P.O. Box 2143 Fort Myers, Florida 33902Restore St. Louis1142 Hodiamont St. Louis, MO 63112Mastersingershttps://mastersingersfm.webconnex.com/DonateWestminster Presbyter Church Missions9065 Ligon CourtFort Myers, FL 33908
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