Ruthe E. Stewart

Ruthe E. Stewart, 87, loving mother, grandmother and great-grandmother, of Stevensville, passed away Friday, February 5, 2010 at The New Orchard Grove Extended Care Centre in Benton Harbor with her loving family at her side. A Celebration of Life Service will be held at 10:30 A.M. Tuesday at Starks & Menchinger Family Funeral Home, 2650 Niles Rd., St. Joseph with Rev. Roy Jeffery officiating. Cremation will follow the service with her ashes resting at North Shore Memory Gardens in Coloma. Friends may call from 5:00 – 7:00 P.M. Monday at the funeral home. Memorials may be made to In House Hospice of Kalamazoo or Orchard Grove Activities Department. Those wishing to sign the Memory Book online may do so at www.starks-menchinger.com. Mrs. Stewart was born February 24, 1922 in Chicago, Illinois to Herbert & Sarah (Woods) Price. In 1938, she married Robert Dachel in Benton Harbor. He preceded her in 1963. In 1973, she married Maurice Stewart. He preceded her in 1998. Ruthe worked as a stylist with her sister Irene at Irene's Beauty Shop in Sodus for many years. After raising her children, she returned to school and became an LPN. Ruthe was employed as an LPN at Mercy Hospital in Benton Harbor from 1967 – 1976. She was an active member at St. Raphael's Catholic Church in Englewood, Florida while she resided there with her husband Maurice. Ruthe enjoyed baking and cooking, both of which she taught at 4-H. She also enjoyed oil painting, and had a marvelous sense of humor. She will be deeply missed by her family and her wonderful caregivers at Orchard Grove. Ruthe is survived by her children-Jeanne Consolino & Sharon Dachel, both of Stevensville, Peter (Hedy) Dachel of Silverdale, WA; two step sons-Mickey (Margaret) Stewart of Leawood, KA, Steve (Gail) Stewart of Ann Arbor; six grandchildren-Gwen, Jennifer, Marie, Frank, Sarah, Annelise; and seven great-grandchildren. In addition to her husbands, Ruthe was preceded in death by siblings-Robert, John, Herbert, & Jerome Price, and Irene Ferguson.