Obituary of Ruth Blanch Szalanski

Ruth Blanche Szalanski, age 97, passed away peacefully in Iowa City, Iowa on Wednesday, August 3, 2022. Born in Milwaukee on November 22, 1924, as the youngest child of Celia Plewa and Thomas Wielebski, Ruth grew up in Milwaukee and graduated from Bay View High School. She married Edward Walter Szalanski on May 29, 1949. She worked within the Milwaukee School District at Kosciusko Junior High, Manitoba School and in the Milwaukee School District office. Ruth and Ed raised three children: Scot Edward, Jay Joseph Jude, and Tracy Ann. After she and Ed retired, they lived in Sun City West, Arizona until Ed died on May 19, 1999. She then moved back to Milwaukee to live near her family, most recently at the Regency at Southtowne in South Milwaukee and Meadowmere Manor in Oak Creek. Since November 2020 with the CoVid-19 pandemic, she lived with her son Jay and his family in Iowa. As a girl she loved to play football with her brothers and baseball on her high school team. As a young mother she loved to spend time with her family. As a grandmother and great-grandmother she loved to see her family grow. Ruth enjoyed playing bingo at the casino and playing poker and sheepshead with friends and family. She loved spending time with dogs. She is survived by her children, Scot (Patricia) Szalanski, Jay (Carlyn) Christensen-Szalanski, and Tracy (John) Reinert; grandson Jason (Jackie) Szalanski with great-grandchildren Connor, Rhys, and Elisabeth; grandson Justin (Kristin) Szalanski with great-grandsons Ryan and Camden; granddaughter Kari (Matt) Haas with great-grandchildren Hunter and Emersyn; granddaughter Jessica (Marcus)Medina with great-grandsons Marcus Jr, Jack, and Austin;grandson Tim (Anna) Reinert with great-grandsons Anthony and Vincent; granddaughters Kyla Christensen-Szalanski and Lark Christensen-Szalanski; grandson Ashlin (Stephanie) Szalanski; and grandson Solon (Maria) Teal with great-grandson Damian. Ruth was preceded in death by her husband, Edward; parents. Thomas and Celia; and siblings John, Eugene, Genevieve, and Ralph. There was a private service for family on August 10, 2022, with Ruth being buried next to her husband Edward at St Adalbert’s Cemetery in Milwaukee. Memorial donations may be made to Iowa City Hospice, 1526 Sycamore St, Iowa City, IA 52240 To share a thought, memory or condolence please visit Gay and Ciha Funeral and Cremation Service website @ www.gayandciha.com.