Ruth Ellen (Masters) Runkel

Ruth Ellen Runkel, 87, of Somerset, passed away 6:20 a.m. Sunday, January 13, 2019 at the Pataskala Oaks Care Center. Ruth was born July 30, 1931 in Marietta, Ohio to the late John Wayne and Thelma Beatrice (Ritchie) Masters. She was educated in a one room schoolhouse in Tunnel, Ohio until high school. She graduated from Marietta High School in 1949. Ruth worked at Kresge Department Store and the Marietta Pottery to help pay for her college education. She then attended Marietta College for one year. On August 26, 1951 she married Stuart Luke Runkel and they resided in Corpus Christi, Texas. Ruth worked for Kaufman Department Stores until she and Stuart started their family. She later worked at the Gothard Grocery Store in Thornville, The Robbins Grocery Store in Somerset, and together with her husband for Leslie Wexner in Bexley, Ohio. At the center of Ruth’s heart was home and family and she dedicated her life to being a homemaker, great cook, and a dedicated gardener and preserver of produce. Together, Ruth and Stuart built their home near Glenford, Ohio, where they lived for 33 years. Ruth enjoyed sharing country life with her greatest riches, her husband, children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. She considered it her joy to care for and serve others in any way she could. Ruth is survived by sons, John and Debbie (Cannon) Runkel of Cridersville, Ohio, and Mike Runkel of Thornville, daughter, Pamela (Rodney) Philipps of Granville; eight grandchildren, Sean (Amy) Runkel, Scott (Emily) Runkel, Staci (Zack) Bordner, Whitney Philipps, Collin Philipps, Jessica Runkel, Benjamin Runkel and Stuart M. Runkel; as well as four great-grandsons, Andrew and Graham Runkel and Camden and Owen Bordner. In addition to her parents, Ruth was preceded in death by her husband of 66 years, Stuart Luke Runkel; a daughter Carolyn Louise Runkel; her brother, Robert Wayne Masters; and sisters, Helen Louise Vickers and Barbara June Kaul. Friends may call from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Friday, January 18, 2019 at the Somerset United Methodist Church, 139 E. Main St., Somerset, Ohio where services will be held at 12:00 p.m. with Pastor Mark Hensley officiating. Ruth will be buried in Marietta, Ohio. Memorial contributions may be made to Vitas Hospice or Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio. Bope-Thomas Funeral Home in Somerset is entrusted with the arrangements. www.bopethomasfuneralhome.com

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Ruth Ellen (Masters) Runkel, please visit our floral store.