Obituary of Ruth L. Beard

Ruth Beard, age 86, of 913 Willow Street, Iowa City, died Saturday, March 20, 2004 at Mercy Hospital in Iowa City shortly after being diagnosed with cancer. Funeral services will be held 10:30a.m. Tuesday, March 23, 2004, at Gay & Ciha Funeral and Cremation Service in Iowa City with the Reverend Gail Mitchell officiating. Burial will be at Memory Gardens Cemetery in Iowa City. Visitation will be from 4-8 p.m. today at the funeral home. A memorial fund has been established in Ruth’s memory. Ruth L Hendrick Beard was born July 17, 1917, in Iowa City, the daughter of Lewis and Alta (Eden) Hendrick. She graduated from Lone Tree High School in 1934, and later received her teacher’s certificate from Iowa State Teachers College in Cedar Falls. For two years, she taught schools in the Franklin-Fairview Schools near Wellman. On June 14, 1938, she married Paul W. Beard on her family’s farm near Frytown. Together the couple farmed their farm near Ainsworth until retiring and moving to Iowa City in 1977. Church was very important to Ruth, she was presently a member of River Community Church in Iowa City, but in years past, she has been a member of a number of churches in this area. Ruth enjoyed playing cards, her bridge clubs, and dancing with Paul in the old dance halls throughout eastern Iowa. However, foremost in her life was her family, friends and being on the farm. Her love of these was always obvious and present. Her family includes a daughter and her husband, Jane and Kermit Klopfenstein of Ainsworth; six grandchildren, Kim Klopfenstein of Iowa City, Tim and his wife, Barb Klopfenstein of Washington, IA, Janel Sieren of Iowa City, Mark and his wife, Shawn Klopfenstein of Avondale, AZ, Lisa (Windus) Bender and her husband, Nick Bender of Des Moines, Kerri (Windus) Sandusky and her husband, Jay Sandusky of Parker, AZ; eleven step-grandchildren, six great-grandchildren, and a number of step-great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her parents, husband, and daughter, Rosemary Havel and a brother in infancy.