Mary Ruth Kolbe

Mary Ruth Kolbe, 79, passed away Monday, March 27, 2017, while under hospice care. Memorial Service: 10:30 a.m. Saturday, April 1, at First Christian Church, 910 S Collins St., Arlington. Memorials: Memorial gifts may be made in memory of Mary Ruth Kolbe to the Florence Nightingale Scholarship Fund at the Indiana University Foundation, P.O. Box 500, Bloomington, IN 47402. Mary Ruth was born Dec. 24, 1937, in Seymour, Ind., to Byron and Nellie Judd. She graduated from Seymour High School, received a Bachelor's degree in nursing from Indiana University, and later on received a Master's degree in nursing from the University of Nebraska. Mary Ruth lived in many places throughout her life and always had an impact on the communities in which she lived. She taught nursing on the community college and university level in Indianapolis, Ind.; Warrensburg, Mo.; Lincoln, Neb; Corvallis, Ore; and retired from Tarrant County College in 2002. She worked as a director of nurses in nursing homes in Bedford, Ind., and in Seattle, Wash. While living in Warrensburg, Mo., she helped start a Planned Parenthood clinic, and while living in Bedford, Ind., she helped start a Girls Club. She has been an active member of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) her entire life. Mary Ruth was most recently a member of First Christian Church in Arlington where she actively participated in their community garden. She has always loved crafting, especially quilting and knitting. A good listener, her sense of humor and Christian faith will be missed. Survivors: She is survived by her husband of 55 years, Dr. Edward H. Kolbe; daughter, Ruth Cooper and her husband, Brian, and their daughter, Nicole, son, Charles Thornton-Kolbe of Denver, Colo., his wife, Jennifer, and their children, Emma, Evan, and Elias; son, Tom Kolbe of Lincoln, Neb., and his wife, Laura Salem, and their children, Judd and Isabella; brother, Edwin Judd; and sisters, Marilyn Wheeler and Mildred Cooley.