Ruth C. Homuth

Ruth C. Homuth, 77, of Annandale died Saturday, July 13, 2002 at Methodist Hospital, St. Louis Park.
Funeral services will be held 11 a.m. Thursday, July 18, at St. John’s Lutheran Church, Annandale with Rev. David Doppenberg officiating. Burial will follow in Woodlawn Cemetery, Annandale. There will be a prayer service at 7:30 p.m. with visitation from 6-8 p.m. Wednesday at St. John’s Lutheran Church.
She is survived by son, Dale and wife Audrey of Mounds View; daughter, Deanne Homuth and husband Calvin Cahoon of Torrance, Calif.; daughter-in-law, Paula Homuth of Missoula, Mont.; sisters and brother, Hildegard Penfield of Williston, N.D., Orville Hiepler of Fallbrook, Calif., Marion Bugge of Shelton, Wash., Shirley Syverson of Epping, N.D.; and grandchildren, Carly, Grady and Andrew.
Ruth was preceded in death by husband, Elroy; son, Paul; and sister, Gertrude Bjella.
Ruth C. Homuth was born February 11, 1925, Williston, North Dakota to Gustav and Anna (Dreier) Hiepler. She was a graduate of Gustavus Adolphus College and a resident of Annandale since 1948. She worked for Wright County from 1963 to 1991 as a social worker and a supervisor in the Child Protection unit. During her career, she designed the establishment of an Emergency Shelter Program for teenagers and she was instrumental in starting the nine-county foster care committee in the Metro-suburban area. Ruth wrote grants for funding the establishment of the Volunteer Parent Aide program, was involved in establishing a school program for emotionally disturbed children, and was instrumental in encouraging schools to hire social workers. She served on a committee of the Urban Institute in Washington D. C. to develop a Child Welfare Assessment Manual for all local agencies. She served as Minnesota Social Service Association President, Conference Chairperson, Treasurer, Regional Chairperson, and Nominations Chairperson. She was chairperson of the State and Regional Social Service Supervisors Association and President of the State Family-Based Association. Ruth served on the Wright County Nursing Advisory Board for 10 years and was a member of Wright County Welfare Board for four years. She served as a member of the Annandale Health and Community Services Board for twenty years, which built and managed the Annandale Care Center, the Therapy Center and Centennial Villa apartments. She served two years as president of the Camp Courage Auxiliary and served on the Annandale Medical Clinic Board. She served twice as President of the Annandale Improvement Club and she was a charter member in initiating the Youth First Program in Annandale, a program spearheaded by the Search Institute. Ruth was also active with St. John’s Lutheran Church, was a past Church Council President, and served on the building committee in l960 and did so again 40 years later. She was responsible for starting the Befriender Program and now serves as coordinator. She served on the Global Mission Board of the Southwestern Minnesota ELCA synod board and was a member of Companion Synod committee, which sponsors bringing International Scholarship students from South Africa to Gustavus Adolphus College.
Pallbearers: Dewey Arnold, Bill Berg, David Bissonnette, Larry Greene, Bob Hess and John Nelson. Honorary pallbearers: Julia Barkley, Nick and Goldie DeGross, Jim and Carleen Hart, Robert and Marcella Mackereth, Bill and Jeanne Roth.
Music: Orma Lou Jacobsma, Barbara Jacobson, Zane Schaefer and others.