Ruth Ingraham

Ruth Ingraham, 84, of Laurel, died Thursday, July 12, at the MMSC. Funeral services will be held at 10:30 a.m. Monday, July 16, at the Laurel United Methodist Church with Pastor Marvin Siems officiating. She will be laid to rest in the Methodist Cemetery at Laurel. Visitation will be held from 4-7:00 p.m. on Sunday at the Mitchell Family Funeral Home in Marshalltown. Memorials may be directed to the family. For condolences, please visit www.mitchellfh.com. Ph: 641-844-1234. Born on March 18, 1928, in Minnesota, she was the daughter of John and Mary Mayme Wirth. She moved to the Tama-Toledo area with her family at a young age and later graduated from the Garwin High School in 1945. Ruth then graduated with her teachers certificate from the Iowa State Teachers College in Cedar Falls in 1947. At the young age of 19, she began teaching in Laurel and later Monroe before being united in marriage to Gene Ingraham. She and Gene made their home in Laurel where he managed the Skelly Gas Station and bulk truck deliveries until a fatal heart attack claimed his life in 1964. This young and determined widow devoted herself to raising her four young children as well as working at the school in the lunch program. She was a member of the Laurel United Methodist Church, the UMW, did seamstress work, enjoyed puzzles, word-finds, watching sports on TV and being involved with her grandchildrens activities. Left to celebrate her remarkable life are her children: Fred (Jackie) Ingraham of Marshalltown, Janice (Jim) Anderson of Laurel, Roger (Nancy) Ingraham of Grinnell; son-in-law Wayne Tapper of Blairsburg, Iowa; six grandchildren: Brandon, Nick, Andrew, Megan, Heather and Erin; ten great-grandchildren: Blake, Logan, Carter, Audrey, Hayden, Omar, Michael, MaKayla, Sheldon and Bobby and her great-great-granddaughter Shyla. Also surviving are her sisters Harriett Fleming of Gladbrook and Helen Hala of Toledo, her brother-in-law Gilbert Ingraham of Laurel and many nieces, nephews and friends. In death, she rejoined her parents, her husband in 1964, daughter Sandra Tapper in 2008, grandson Derek in 1985 and brothers George and Walter.