Ruth Marie Haak

Ruth Marie Bratcher Haak

LINCOLN-Ruth Marie Bratcher Haak, 84, Lincoln, passed quietly Thursday, Dec. 30, 2010 at Memorial Medical Center, Springfield.

Funeral services will be at 10:00 a.m. Monday, Jan. 3 at Immanuel Lutheran Church, Lincoln, with Rev. Andrew Nyren officiating. Visitation will be from 2:00-4:00 p.m. on Sunday at Fricke-Calvert-Schrader Funeral Home, Lincoln. AMVET services will be at 4:00 p.m. following visitation. Memorials may be made to the Illinois AMVETS Auxiliary Scholarship Fund.

Ruth Bratcher as born on January 30, 1926 to Alton Bratcher and Ruth Bratcher (Brave) and married January 15, 1944 to Arnold Haak, her husband of nearly 67 years. Arnold survives as do two sons: William (Rhonda) Haak of Lincoln and Michael (Nancy) Haak of McLean and grandchildren: Jeff, Chatham; Angie; Felicia, Charleston SC and Casey, McLean.

Ruth served 25 years as office manager for Barrick Transfer Company in Lincoln then 32 years as Executive Secretary for the Illinois AMVETS Ladies' Auxiliary. She also spent 16 years as Treasurer of the New Salem Property Owners' Association, where she and Arnold had a campsite.

A devoted veterans' advocate, she is a life member of the Auxiliaries to the AMVETS, VFW, American Legion and DAV posts in Lincoln. In the AMVETS Auxiliary, she has served in every office at the local level (Post #71), many more at the Division level and in many chairmanships at the State level.

In recent years, she has been a driving force in the Veterans' Memorial Brick project at College Ave. and Union St. in Lincoln.

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