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Ruth E. Willcutt

1907 - 1961

Mrs. Willcutt's death occurs this morning

Mrs. Ruth E. Willcutt of 8 Mishawaka Terrace, died at 6:50 a.m. at the Graham hospital where she had been a patient since September 24. She had been in ill health since December 1960, seriously since June.

The daughter of Herbert J. and Eliza Jane Hawe Bailey, she was born September 13, 1907, at Dows, Iowa. She graduated from the Klemme high school in 1927, at Klemme, Iowa. She enrolled in Morningside college at Sioux City for two years and was graduated from the University of Iowa in 1931. She taught school at Wyman, Clarence and Williams, Iowa. She was in charge of student housing at Iowa State University at Ames prior to coming to Keokuk.

On May 14, 1941, she was married to E. Merrill Willcutt at Paullina, Iowa and had lived in Keokuk since.

Mrs. Willcutt was an active member of the Trinity Methodist church, a life member of the Women's Society of Christian Science and the Home Builders Sunday school class.

She was also a member of Chapter U., P.E.O., the Ethel Evans circle of Kings Daughters, the Fraternal Women's Society T.T.T., an active member of Washington-Central P.T.A., a former member of the A.A.U.W and was very active in the YWCA, serving several years as assistant secretary and later secretary.

Surviving are her husband, two sons, Gaylord Alan and Eugene Clare at home, her father and step-mother, Mr. and Mrs. Bailey of Ames, a step sister, Mrs. Walter (Doris) Eddy of Dumas, Tex., tow step brothers, Gene Schuster of Ellsberry, Mo. and Melvin Schuster of New York City, aunts, cousins and other relatives.

She was preceded in death by her mother on November 4, 1944.

The body will remain at the Schmidt Memorial Home until Wednesday noon, when it will be taken to the Trinity Methodist church where services will be held at 2 with the Rev. Wesley W. Stienmetz and the Rev. Gilbert Stout officiating. Interment will be made in the Sunset Memorial Gardens.


source: Daily Gate City (Keokuk, IA), 2 Oct 1961, page 9, column 6

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