Ruth Ann (Hamburg) Schaefer, 92, beloved wife, mother, grandmother, great grandmother, and dear friend, passed away peacefully at Brookdale Assisted Living in Austintown on Tuesday, April 10, 2018. Ruth Hamburg was born into a large family on August 8, 1925 in the small rural town of Cowgill, Missouri located just northeast of Kansas City, and attended local school in a three-grade classroom where she excelled in accounting and bookkeeping studies. Her road to graduation was not always easy, having lost her mother to a stroke at the age of 16.
She survived the Depression in this small farm community. Upon graduation, Ruth’s bookkeeping skills were immediately put to work at the North American Aviation (NAA) facility in Kansas City, KS during WWII. At NAA, Ruth helped American workers build the North American B-25 Mitchell bomber for the Army, and clearly earned the title “Rosie the Riveter”.
After the war, she migrated to Los Angeles, where she applied her aviation experience at Western Airlines. In Los Angeles, she met Ken Schaefer, a recently discharged Army veteran, and a Youngstown native. Ruth and Ken were married in Las Vegas, NV on November 9, 1946.
They found their way back to northeast Ohio, and they started their family in 1953. Ruth and Ken shared 51 years of marriage before his passing on December 9, 1997. Ruth was a homemaker, first and foremost, and she raised four sons at their first home on Central Parkway in Warren.
Ruth enjoyed reading, and was an excellent cook, decorator and seamstress. On occasion, Ruth utilized her bookkeeping background and worked at AAA Warren and the General Electric Lamp Plant in Warren. In 1969, with a house full of teenage boys, they moved to Howland.
Ruth set aside her career to devote her life to her family. She cherished and embraced every moment, especially time spent with her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Ruth is survived by her loving sons, Glen (Martha Pallante) Schaefer, Dean (Monica) Schaefer, and Kenneth “Rusty” (Julie) Schaefer; seven granddaughters, Sara, Laura, and Paula, Ashley and Erica, and Maggie and Grace; and four great-grandchildren, Ayden, Dalton, Dante and Avianna.
In addition to her parents Frank and Grace Fesler Hamburg, her siblings Francis, David, Don and Grace, and husband Kenneth, she was preceded in death by one son, Don Paul Schaefer in 1992. In her later years, Ruth suffered temporary health-related issues which made assisted-living practical, and a welcomed solution. A special thanks to her resident caregivers at Shepherd of the Valley in Howland, Humility of Mary Humility House in Austintown, and Brookdale Senior Living in Austintown.
Ruth enjoyed may years bonding with residents at these facilities. A private memorial service will be held on Friday, April 13, 2018 at Lane Family Funeral Homes, Roberts-Clark Chapel in Warren with Pastor Joel Dickson officiating. Burial will be at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Boardman at a later date.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in Ruth’s name to Hospice of the Valley, 5190 Market Street, Youngstown, Ohio 44512. Online condolences may be made to the family and the obituary viewed at www. robertsclarkchapel.com To send flowers or a remembrance gift to the family of Ruth Schaefer, please visit our Tribute Store.
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