Ruth Louise Lapham

Having run the race, having kept the faith, Ruth Louise Lapham was taken from her hospital bed to the very presence of her Savior on January 4, 2023. She was 97-years-old.

A resident of the Covenant Care Community in Northbrook, Illinois since July 2021, Ruth was born on Christmas Day, 1925, in Plant City, Florida to William and Cora Henderson. She would soon leave the Sunshine State’s warmth for Michigan’s cold when her parents moved to Flushing (outside of Flint) in the wake of the Depression and in need of work. There they established a loving home built on the Lordship of Christ and known by all as a place of multiple kindnesses extended to family, friends, and anyone in need of a helping hand.

In this regard, one vivid memory Ruth would recount again and again was watching her impoverished parents willingly, lovingly share meals and what little else they had with vagrants who were themselves destitute in the wake of the Depression.

It was this early vision of outward caring and compassion that would shape the entirety of Ruth’s own life.

Upon graduating from Flushing High School, Ruth went to work as a secretary at the Fisher Body plant in Flint, Michigan until her marriage to Frederick George Lapham in 1950. 

As a pastor’s wife, Ruth would minister alongside her husband at several Michigan Baptist churches, including congregations in Flint, Harbor Beach, and Charlotte.

Following a career change for her husband, the couple moved to East Lansing and then to Plymouth, Michigan, where Ruth worked for the Wayne County Tax Department in Detroit as a clerical assistant while raising three children.

Invariably describing herself as “just” a housewife with a high school education, Ruth was nevertheless an avid reader (she loved Christian novels and a lot of Zane Grey) and a student of God’s Word. She also consistently modeled the selfless servanthood of her parents by taking in family members dealing with assorted illnesses; finding endless energy in her service and in her faith that never flagged even in the wake of the death of daughter Mary (age 9) who was herself physically challenged.

It was this Christ-centered, Christ-empowered care and compassion that would impact the many who watched Ruth carry forth her very practical, hands-on Gospel-witness day-in and day-out.

In retirement, Ruth and Fred resettled in Fairfield Glade, TN in the late 1980s, enjoying a delightful season of life until Fred’s passing in 2013. Shortly thereafter, Ruth moved to the Windsor Park Covenant Community in Carol Stream, Illinois to be close to family.

Always a faithful friend, Ruth was committed to maintaining her countless relationships through phone calls, cards, and endless letter writing. Most noteworthy in this regard were the round robin letters she, along with a handful of other Flushing grads, would regularly write to stay in touch. Starting in the 1940s, Ruth kept written contact with many of these girlfriends right up to the start of her illness in the midst of the Pandemic.

Ruth’s continual delight was in the Lord. Always self-effacing, she would at times wonder why such a great God would willingly send his Son to die on her behalf. And yet, when those thoughts occurred, she would just as quickly stop and simply thank him for his unfailing love and kindness.

Not surprisingly, then, Ruth would often break out in a hymn or spend extended time in prayer first and foremost for her family.

She is survived by a brother (Earl) and brother-in-law (Grant); her daughter Judy (Harold) Smith and son Bruce Lapham; three grandchildren Britnee (Jesse) Webb, Brett (Shana) Lapham, Kevin (Brenna) Smith; four great-grandchildren Jozlin Webb, Jase Webb, Ruby Lapham, and Malcolm Smith, and numerous nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents William and Cora Henderson, three brothers (Lorne, Herb, Wayne), two sisters (Jean Wismer, Maribeth Molnar), husband Frederick George, daughter Mary Elizabeth, and infant son Malcolm Barth.

A memorial service remembering Ruth and her Christ-honoring legacy will be held at the Hultgren Funeral Home, 304 N. Main St., Wheaton, IL 60187, on Saturday, March 11, 2023 at 2:00 p.m. The service will be livestreamed beginning at 2:00 p.m. CST through this link: Memorial Service for Ruth Lapham. Relatives & friends are invited to visit with the family from 1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. at the funeral home prior to the service.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that gifts be sent in memory of Ruth to a Christian ministry of your choice; or to the Alzheimer’s Association www.alz.org.