Ruth O. Fox, 92, of rural Chatfield, died Wednesday, November 20, 2019 at Carlisle Place under the care of Kindred Hospice. The Fox family wishes to express their gratitude to the Carlisle Place and Kindred Hospice staffs and the nursing staff of Bucyrus Hospital.

She was born July 6, 1927 in Crawford Twp., Wyandot County to the late Leo J. and Eulalia (Wenzinger) Hoepf. Ruth attended St. Joseph’s Elementary School before graduating from Tiffin Calvert High School in 1945. While attending a dance in Bascom, Ohio, Ruth became interested in a young man named Walter J. Fox and they married on April 17, 1948. He preceded her in death on February 4, 1994.

They moved to Chatfield in 1959 as they had purchased a farm and there was family in the area. Ruth worked for many years as a farm wife and homemaker until her children were in school. Then she spent a few years working at CE White in New Washington before taking a job at Revco Drug Store in Bucyrus from which she retired in 1995.

Family and faith were Ruth’s top priorities. She cherished any time spent with them and always looked forward to their gatherings. She was an active member of St. Bernard Catholic Church where she served on the Rosary Altar Society, assisted with BINGO, and their festival. She enjoyed traveling, especially her trip to Rome. She liked to work in her flower and vegetable gardens and canned what she grew.

Ruth did a lot of sewing and crocheting and her skills in the kitchen were second to none. Some of her family favorites were pies, strawberry jelly, and potato soup. She played BINGO at various locations but preferred when the family gathered to play at her daughter, Nancy’s. She also enjoyed board games, cards, and jigsaw puzzles as well as word searches and liked to watch Jeopardy.

Ruth is survived by 10 children, Duane (Judy Ann) Fox, Judy (Jerry) Noblit, Donald (Cindy) Fox, Marilyn Beran, Kenneth Fox, Norma Horwitz, Brenda (Joseph) Walsh, Janet (Gail) Rowland, Carol (Daniel) Riemenschneider, and Nancy (Randall) Hanes; 22 grandchildren; 16 great-grandchildren; and seven siblings, Walter Hoepf, Mary Ellen (Cyril) Gosche, Arlene Holman, Dorothy (Jack) Clutter, Patricia (Tony) Springman, Michael (Diane) Hoepf, and Cletus (Patricia) Hoepf.

In addition to her parents and husband, Ruth was preceded in death by four brothers, Gerald, Robert, Dale, and Arthur Hoepf.

Her family will receive friends from 2-7 pm Friday, November 22 at Wise Funeral Service, 129 W. Warren St. Bucyrus, where a Rosary service will begin at 7:00 pm to conclude the evening. Her funeral Mass will be celebrated at 11:00 am Saturday in St. Bernard Catholic Church with Fr. George Mahas as Celebrant. Burial will follow in St. Bernard Cemetery.

Donations can be made payable to St. Bernard Church; Crawford County Chapter of the American Red Cross, as Ruth was a longtime blood donor, or Kindred Hospice. These gifts will be accepted through the funeral home or at the church on the morning of her service. Expressions of sympathy are encouraged to be shared on her Tribute Wall.

To send flowers or a remembrance gift to the family of Ruth O. Fox, please visit our Tribute Store.

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