Ruth A. Elgersma

Ruth Ann was born on June 27, 1932 the daughter of Linden and Evelyn (Yates) Cuff in Portage, Wisconsin. She was a graduate of Portage High School.  She was married to Melvin Elgersma on June 30, 1950 in Portage, WI.

Ruth was a proud mother of nine children, raising them with love and devotion.  She had been employed at both the Waupun Christian Home and Waupun Memorial Hospital.  Ruth had a lifelong love of dogs and had owned Elgersma Kennels. Ruth’s faith was an essential part of her life, as she was a member of Grace Presbyterian Church and the Morning Circle of the church.

In her spare time, Ruth enjoyed jigsaw puzzles, reading and quilting.  A talented quilter, Ruth created a unique and treasured quilt for each of her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren.  She was also an avid traveler and had a deep passion for genealogy, spending countless hours researching and documenting family history with her niece, Zoe. She had been a member of the book club at the Senior Center and a partner in the Craft Shed for several years.  Before her retirement she had been active in the Pork Producers.

Ruth will be deeply missed by her children: Christine Vande Kolk (James Slagle) of Evansville, WI, Steven (Kathy) Elgersma, Scandinavia, WI, Cena (Alan) Kamphuis of Waupun, Barbara (Gregory) Vant Hoff of Beaver Dam, David (Heidi) Elgersma of Beaver Dam, and Gregory (Kate) Elgersma of Zephyr Hills, FL; 18 grandchildren; 30 great grandchildren; 1 great great grandchild; son-in-law Dan VandeKolk; daughter-in-law Linda Elgersma; nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends.

She was preceded in death by her parents, daughter Mary Agnew; sons: James Elgersma and Gerald Elgersma; grandsons: Benjamin Elgersma and Matthew Agnew; great grandson Max Riley; step father Adolph Wolfram; sister Judith Thewes; step sisters: Marilyn Wolfram and Eleanor Goold and her former husband Melvin Elgersma.

A memorial gathering for Ruth will be held on Thursday, October 17, 2024 from 2:00 p.m. until 6:00 p.m. at Grace Presbyterian Church, 215 Gould St., Beaver Dam.  Inurnment will take place at a later date at Silver Lake Cemetery in Portage, Wisconsin.

In lieu of flowers, the family encourages memorial donations in Ruth’s name be made to St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital.

The family would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to the staff of Hillside Manor for their kind and compassionate care of Ruth.  Your kindness was greatly appreciated and will always be remembered.

The Koepsell-Murray Funeral Home in Beaver Dam is serving the family.  Online condolences may be made at www.koepsellfh.com.