Ruth King passed away peacefully on March 24 ^th surrounded by family.  She was 90 years old. Visitation will be held on March 31 ^st from 5-7 p.m. at Dunsford Funeral Home of Augusta. Funeral services will be held on April 1 ^st at 10 a.m. at Christ Lutheran Church in Augusta.

Ruth Jean Schneider was born on May 1, 1932 in rural WaKeeney, KS, Trego County into a German-speaking farm community.  She moved to Augusta, Kansas in 4 ^th grade.  When she was 12 years old her mother passed away, leaving her as caregiver for her younger siblings; 3 brothers and 2 sisters.  She moved to Centralia, Washington with her father and family at 13 years old.  She moved back to Augusta during her Junior year in high school and graduated from Augusta High School.

She enrolled in the Susan B. Allen Hospital School of Nursing in El Dorado, Kansas, graduating in 1953.  Shortly afterwards in 1953 she married Kenneth King.

Ruth and Kenneth lived as newlyweds in the teacher's house on the Bloomington Grade School property in rural Butler County.  They moved across Bloomington Road to the house beside the Bloomington Store in 1955.  There they had three children; Kenna, Monte, and Steven.  In 1961, the family moved just down the road to the 4th generation King farm homestead where Ruth continued her nursing career and Kenneth took over the operation of the family farm and ranch from his father.

She started working as a part time nurse in 1960 while raising 3 young children.  In 1966, with her children all of school age, she started her full-time nursing career at SBA and began night shift soon thereafter, where she was eventually promoted to Night Nursing Supervisor.

Over the years, Ruth and Kenneth hosted many large family holiday gatherings at the King farm.  Ruth was the cornerstone of these events and greatly enjoyed entertaining her extended family.  She expertly balanced her nursing career, being a mother of 3, a supportive farmer/rancher's wife, and hostess to a steady stream of visitors at the farm.

She took many memorable flying vacations with Kenneth, a private pilot, and her children all packed into one of the various Cessna or Mooney airplanes they owned through the years.

Kenneth was a Kansas State Legislator for many years.  Ruth spent a lot of time in Topeka with Kenneth and became a popular and respected legislative wife; organizing events and social gatherings for other legislators' wives in and around Topeka.

In 1990 Ruth moved to day shift nursing supervisor at SBA, a big lifestyle change for both her and Kenneth.  She retired in 1994 after 34 years of faithful service at SBA.  Ruth is remembered to this day as an icon at the hospital.  Years later she is described as 'legendary' by fellow workers who knew her.  She was stubborn and tough, but fair, and many of her staff have said she was the best supervisor they had ever worked for.

In retirement, she and Kenneth loved to travel to faraway places with family and friends in their airplane and later in their motorhome.  Kenneth passed away in 2003 after almost 50 years of marriage.  Ruth continued to live at the farm for many years until she moved to an El Dorado assisted living facility in 2018.  She lived a total of 57 years on the King family farm.  Like her husband, she had Butler County dirt in her veins!

Ruth was a lifelong member of Christ Lutheran Church in Augusta, and was a member of Augusta Sorority, Augusta Soroptimist Club and Augusta Garden Club.   She often volunteered at Butler County Community College for their nursing program training.

Ruth was a loving caregiver to her father, siblings, in-laws, elderly church members, neighbors, and most anyone she knew that was in need.  She had a special relationship with a number of high school girl friends that she maintained her whole life.  And she loved visiting her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.  Ruth loved shopping and antiquing... not buying, just shopping.  It was rumored that she never knowingly passed by an estate sale without stopping.

She leaves with us a legacy of hard work and dedication to her profession and to her family, instilling those same values in the many people she influenced throughout her life.  All our hearts will have an empty spot without her in our lives.

Ruth was preceded in death by:  Husband Kenneth; Father and Mother Fred and Martha Schneider; Father and Mother-in-Law Lloyd and Dorothea King; sister Beverly Purdy; brothers Kurt Bauer and Jerry Schneider.

She is survived by: Daughter Kenna and family, son KC Holsey and wife Darcy and children Clay, Abigail, Ava, and Elizabeth; son Kyle Holsey and wife Kelsi and children Mallory and Lucas; stepdaughter Michelle Holsey;  Son Monte and wife Deanne and family, daughter Jessica Cookson, son Spencer Cookson and wife Rachel and children Everett and Adeline;  Son Steven and family, son Michael and wife Courtney, daughter Breanna Busker and husband Matt and son Carson; sister Bonnie Baker and husband Jerry and family; Brother Jimmy Schneider and wife Wilma and family; sister Beverly's family; brother Jerry's family.  And, of course, a very large extended family too numerous to mention.

In lieu of flowers, please contribute to the Good Shepherd Hospice, Wichita, or Christ Lutheran Church, Augusta.