Ruth Rohner

Ruth Rohner of Fontanelle, of Fontanelle, passed to eternal rest on October 29, 2021, age 97 years, 9 months, 5 days, at the Good Samaritan Center in Fontanelle.

Ruth Marian McCartney Rohner was born January 25, 1924, to George Harvey “Harve” and Carrie Campfield McCartney in Walnut Township, Adair, Adair County, the youngest of eight children. 

The McCartney family lived in the Canby area where they attended Friends Church. In 1932, they moved to a farm south of Casey. Ruth attended public school in Walnut Township in Adair County and two years of high school in Casey.

She and her parents moved to Fontanelle in February 1938. She would live in this house for 77 years until she began residence at Good Samaritan Center in Fontanelle in October 2015. Ruth attended Fontanelle High School for two years, graduating with the Class of 1940.

Upon receiving her teaching certificate by Normal Training Course, she taught in rural schools for five years in Adair and Guthrie Counties. She also attended the Iowa State Teachers College, now University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls.

On Easter Sunday, April 1, 1945, Ruth married her high school sweetheart S/Sgt. Glen O. Rohner at Emmanuel Lutheran Church in Fontanelle. This was the first time in three years he had had leave after joining the military.  They resided in Fontanelle where they made their home following Glen’s discharge from the U.S. Army Air Corps in October 1945. In March, 1946, Ruth was baptized into the Christian faith by Pastor A.J. Seegers at Emmanuel Lutheran Church. This marriage was blessed with the birth of a daughter, Glenette Ann, on April 14, 1950.

Since birth, Ruth and her siblings enjoyed a variety of musical activities under their mother’s tutelage with piano, organ and vocal activities in their home, church and community. Ruth participated in Emmanuel’s church choir in the early 1940s, as choir director in the 1960s, and again from 1997 to 2005, when she also served as director at the formation of the handbell choir.

Her husband and daughter joined in and enjoyed the choir work. Young Ruth enjoyed giving piano lessons to her little friends for many years later as well as helping her daughter following “Grandma Carrie’s” death. Later Ruth taught in the first Bridgewater-Fontanelle Pre-Kindergarten classes for 12 years, helping many four-year-olds learn music. She played the piano all her life.  Besides her musical talents, Ruth liked cooking, baking, playing cards, crocheting, square dancing on the new slab in Fontanelle, genealogy and, always, visiting with family and friends.

While her roles as wife and mother were the light of her life, her other activities over the years included playing piano for Glenette’s dance rehearsals and recitals with Mary Jane Lane and Lorene Patterson; serving for several years as an Avon representative; teaching Sunday School for several years; and often helping out pressing clothes at The Toggery working with her husband.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Glen in 2010; mother, Carrie; father, George Harvey; mother- and father-in-law, Emma and Fred Rohner; three brothers: 4-year-old Raymond McCartney, Glen McCartney and wives Fern and Nellie, Dale McCartney and wives Velma and Flossie; four sisters: infant Macel McCartney, Perle Stillinger, Maxine Smith and husband Fred, Lois Krause Dresback and husbands Arnold and Floyd; brothers- and sisters-in-law, Elmer Rohner and wives Louise and Marge; four nieces: Patty Dunkerson and her newborn daughter Janie Paulette, Janet McCartney, Mary Ann Crabb, Janice Gruber and husband Ralph; nephew, Jim Rohner.

She is survived by her loving daughter, Glenette Rohner of Arnold, Maryland; two nephews, Keith McCartney and wife Beverlee of Burke, Va., KayAllen Rohner and wife Gail of Red Oak; three nieces: Rita Blecken and husband Bruce of Des Moines, JoAnn Lane of California, Linda Sulgrove and husband Les of Des Moines; great-nieces: Debbie Engelstad and husband Jon of Ankeny, Denise Landt and husband Jeff of Garwin, Rita Rosenberg, who was also a god-child, and husband Denny of Grimes; cousin, Craig Rohner of Hinsdale, Ill., who was also a godchild; numerous cousins, other great nieces and nephews, friends and relatives.

Memorials may be made to the Good Samaritan Center and Care Initiatives Hospice of Iowa, both of which deserve special thanks for their continued excellent care, protection and many acts of kindness.

Funeral services were held on Thursday, November 18, 2021, at 1:30 p.m. at the Emmanuel Lutheran Church in Fontanelle with burial in the Fontanelle Cemetery. Steen Funeral Home in Fontanelle is in charge of the professional arrangements.  Online condolences may be left to the family at www.steenfunerals.com.