Ruth Marian Chrenko

1933 - 2020

Ruth Marian Chrenko

Mountain Home - Ruth Marian Chrenko, age 87, of Mountain Home, AR passed away on July 17, 2020 at Hospice of the Ozarks Hospice House in Mountain Home. She was born April 17, 1933, to the late Robert and Ruth Marie Comiskey in Irvington, NJ. Ruth was a registered nurse, receiving her nursing degree from Orange Memorial Hospital School of Nursing in Orange, NJ in 1954. She married John Robert Chrenko on October 30, 1954 in Basking Ridge, NJ. After visiting and falling in love with Arkansas, Ruth and John moved with their six children from Gillette, NJ to Mountain Home in 1968. Ruth worked as a public health nurse for 25 years at the Baxter County Health Unit, first as a staff nurse and then as the administrator from 1982 until she retired in 1995. During her tenure, she was often referred to as "Baxter County's Nightingale" because of her tireless commitment to public health initiatives such as prevention and control of communicable diseases, immunization efforts, and programs for women, infants and children. Ruth believed in community service and after retiring, spent much of her time volunteering at Baxter Regional Medical Center and CARTI. She also served on the Board of Directors at the Baxter Day Service Center for 26 years. In addition to volunteering, she enjoyed traveling in the United States and abroad, going to the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra in Little Rock and attending performances locally at the Sheid Center. Most of all, she loved spending time with her family at her beautiful home on Norfork Lake. Ruth was known for her wisdom, strength, commitment, kindness, compassion and selfless nature. She was humble and would rarely talk about herself, preferring to focus her attention on others. She was incredibly loved and will be greatly missed by all who knew her.

In addition to her parents, she was also preceded in death by her husband John, and three sisters - Elaine Trost, Jane Holeman, and Judy Cave.

She is survived by two sisters, Roberta Strouse and Barbara Hedden, both of Stirling, NJ; her six children, Stephanie Clark (Jerry Martin), Raymond Chrenko, Susan Blumreich (Steve), and Michael Chrenko, all of Mountain Home, Diane Becker (Richard) of Jonesboro, AR, and John Chrenko, Jr. (Mae) of Prairie Grove, AR; eleven grandchildren; eight great-grandchildren; and many nieces and nephews, all whom she loved dearly. Funeral Services will follow at a later date. In lieu of flowers, Ruth requested that donations be made to the Baxter Day Service Center, Inc., 1631 Leo Davis Drive, Mountain Home, AR 72653. Arrangements are by Kirby and Family Funeral and Cremation Services - Mountain Home, Arkansas. Visit an online obituary and guestbook at www.kirbyandfamily.com.