Ruth Kirkwood

Although her life was filled with many interests and joys, nothing was more precious to Ruth Kirkwood than her unwavering faith. She was a woman with a deep love for her family who found caring for her husband and children to be a great delight. Ruth was a woman who thrived on routine, although there was always plenty of room for fun as well. She was blessed to share nearly 50 years with the love of her life with whom she established a family that she treasured throughout her entire life. Ruth was most content when she was in her own home, or wherever her family was gathered.

In the year 1916, WWI was raging overseas although the United States was still attempting to remain neutral. Back home, this was a year in which the first child labor law was implemented, Woodrow Wilson was re-elected as the President of the United States, and as neutrality seemed more and more difficult, President Wilson signed into law the National Defense Law, which expanded the size and scope of the National Guard. It was also during this year that Joseph and Emily (Myer) Witte welcomed the birth of their daughter, Ruth, on September 17th. Ruth was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan, as the youngest of four children with her closest sibling being three years her senior. Initially her father worked to support their family while her mother was a homemaker, but that all changed with the tragic death of Ruth’s father when she was just two. With his death her twin siblings went to live with relatives in Stevens Point, Wisconsin. Her mother also began working in a factory in order to support her children. Ruth and her older sibling spent a lot of time at the homes of both their Aunt Mary and Aunt Hilda while they waited for their mother to return from work.

Their family lived in a home on Elizabeth Street where Ruth remained throughout the rest of her formative years. She attended St. Anthony Elementary, and her family was members of St. Anthony’s Church. Ruth went on to graduate from Catholic Central High School in 1934. She then moved to Stevens Point in order to be near her siblings. While there, Ruth worked as a secretary, and she returned back to Grand Rapids after a few years.

Life took a pleasant turn for Ruth when she went on a fateful double date with her sister, Florence. Ruth’s date was a man named Bill Brechting while Florence was accompanying a man named Emmett Kirkwood. About halfway through the evening, the sisters switched dates. Ruth and Emmett continued to date for the following six months, although he worked six days a week as a milkman, which left them time to only see each other on weekends. They later married on April 19, 1941, at her home church and ironically, Florence married Bill Brechting as well.

It wasn’t long before the couple welcomed their son, Thomas, into their hearts and home in 1942. Their young family was separated just a short time later when Emmett was drafted into the Army in 1943. He served as part of the 32nd Red Arrow Division for two years. During this time, Ruth and Thomas lived in an apartment on Courtney and Tamarack.

When their family was again reunited, Ruth and Emmett welcomed additional children into their lives. Joe was born in 1946, Michael in 1949, they then lost two infant daughters, and with the birth of Gerard in 1956, their family was complete. Ruth took great pride in caring for her family and life in the Kirkwood home thrived on a regimented schedule. Ruth did certain things on certain days such as Monday was spent doing laundry while on Tuesdays, she did the ironing. Saturday was most often “hamburger night” in their home as well. Ruth liked to have dinner at the same time each night, too, as soon as Emmett got home from work. Together their family enjoyed times spent renting a cabin on either Bills Lake or Torch Lake, and they also made several boat trips with her brother, Fr. Aidan, out to Spring Lake.

Throughout her life, there were a variety of interests that Ruth enjoyed. She liked to go dance the foxtrot at the Lexicon Club with Emmett. Ruth also became quite close with Emmett’s sister Margaret “Tot,” and the pair became lifelong friends. They liked to have a beer and pizza with cards after church on Saturday nights. Although Ruth never enjoyed cooking all that much, she did like baking and was famous for her cherry pies. Ruth also enjoyed crosswords, crocheting, knitting, and playing golf. She liked playing cribbage, bowling, and was a fan of the Detroit Tigers. Ruth went to games in Detroit as often as she could and was a true Sparky Anderson fan. Usually, she preferred to be at home with Emmett where she enjoyed things such as watching Jeopardy and tennis on television. When they did go out, Ruth and Emmett could often be found eating at Lannings or Bill Knapp’s restaurants. Throughout her life, Ruth was devout in her Catholic faith and was a member of the Third Order of St. Francis.

Ruth and Emmett moved to a smaller home on Gratiot NW in 1979. She was deeply saddened with her beloved Emmett’s death in 1989. During the days following his death, Ruth found strength in both her faith, family and friends. She was actively involved in the lives of her grandchildren as often as she was able, and greatly enjoyed watching them in their sporting events. In the last five years of her life, Ruth especially enjoyed the many friends she made living at St. Ann's Home, and was grateful to the loving care she received from the staff there.

With abiding faith and an unending love for her family, Ruth Kirkwood impacted the lives of so many around her. She devoted herself to tending to the needs of her family and took great care in doing just that. Ruth was a delightful woman who found happiness in the simple things in life, and she will be dearly missed by those she leaves behind.

Ruth Kirkwood of Grand Rapids died on January 20, 2010. Ruth’s family includes her children, Thomas (Jan) Kirkwood, Joseph Kirkwood, Michael (Joan) Kirkwood, and Gerard (Cathy) Kirkwood; grandchildren, Judy (Frank) Florido, Matthew (Jennifer) Kirkwood, Stephen (Ronnie) Kirkwood, Mark (Leslie) Kirkwood, David (Alysha) Kirkwood, Paul Kirkwood, Kevin (Anne) Kirkwood, Jeffrey Kirkwood, and Erica Hofmeyer; 13 great-grandchildren; her brother-in-law, Jack (Ginny) Kirkwood; and sister-in-law, Bea Barkley. Ruth was preceded in death by her husband, Emmett in 1989; brothers, Fr. Aidan Witte and Lawrence Witte; and sister Florence Brechting. The Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10 a.m. on Saturday at St. Mary’s Catholic Church, 431 First St. NW. Friends may visit with the family on Friday from 2-4 and 6-8 p.m., with a Rosary at 7:30 p.m., at Heritage Life Story Funeral Homes, 2120 Lake Michigan Dr. NW. and also on Saturday from 9-10 a.m. at the church. Please visit www.lifestorynet.com to archive a memory or photo, or make a memorial contribution to St. Ann’s Home or Faith Hospice.