Ruth H. Seamans

Ruth H. Seamans Battle Creek Ruth H. Seamans, 92, died Thursday, February 7, 2013 of natural causes in Tucson, Arizona. Ruth was born March 12, 1920 to Clara Mabel (Kolwitz) and Walter Delias Bruce in Battle Creek, MI. She was raised in Battle Creek as the beloved youngest child in a family of seven children. Her father had a painting business. She adored her "little" mother, who was not quite five feet tall, but thought nothing of prying open the mouths of horses to "doctor" them. Ruth was proud to be the tallest (at 5 feet 2½inches) of the four girls in her family. At age 17, Ruth ran away with the love of her life, Robert Charles Seamans, Sr., to marry in the bordering state of Indiana. Ruth and Bob had a happy marriage that, early on, endured his deployment to the South Pacific in the Navy during World War II. They had two boys, Robert Charles, Jr. and Gary Lee, who were five years apart, and 10 years later a daughter, Cindy Lou. Bob's post-war career as a supervisor with Alcoa Aluminum took the family to the Quad Cities, and ultimately to Evansville, Indiana. Ruth was a devoted wife and mother and a wonderful homemaker. She didn't believe in convenience food, and her homemade pies, cakes, rolls, and hearty meals of roasts, vegetables and hors d'oeuvres were appreciated by family, friends and guests at the many dinner parties she hosted. She enjoyed gardening, and her rose garden in Evansville had 75 beautiful multi-hued rose bushes. Ruth loved to dance, and she and Bob made a striking couple with her auburn hair floating a foot lower than Robert's head of black curls. As the youngest in her family Ruth was preceded in death by her parents, but also by her brothers, Ray, Earl and Duane Bruce, and her sisters, Lucille Fulkerson, Maxine Fulkerson and Beatrice Hickman, all of Battle Creek, MI. She was widowed in 1972 when Bob, Sr. was killed in a car accident while coming home from work. Her oldest son, Bob Jr., died in 2004 of pancreatic cancer. Ruth had moved to Tucson to be close to Bob, Jr. and his family, and she lived the last 20 years of her life in Tucson. She was in remarkably good health through her 80's. Ruth is survived by her son, Gary and his wife, Bonnie of Moline, IL; her daughter, Cindy and her husband, Stephen Good of Dallas, TX, and Bob, Jr.'s first and second wives, Lyn and Delores of Tucson. Ruth adored all her grandchildren and great-grandchildren and spoiled them unrepentantly as often as she could. These are granddaughter Sandy, her husband Brian Stearns and their daughter, Katie of Stowe, VT; grandson Robert Charles III and his children, Robert Charles IV and Kyndal of Phoenix; granddaughter Ruth, her husband Art Trevino and their children, Arthur, Charles, Anthony and Ally ; grandson Nelson and his sons Justin and Joshua of Tucson; granddaughter Lynore of Tucson; grandson Lee, his wife Jenny and their daughter, Madelynne of Elgin, IL; grandson Matthew and his wife Jillian of Phoenix; granddaughter Crystal and her husband, Chris Kowalski of Cedar Falls, Iowa and granddaughters Elizabeth Good of Dallas and Christina Good of Austin, TX. Special thanks to Lyn Nelson for her caring attention to Ruth throughout her last years. The Funeral Service to celebrate Ruth's life will be held on Saturday, February 16th at 1:00 p.m.at the Farley-Estes & Dowdle Funeral Home, Battle Creek, where friends will be received from Noon until service time. Interment will follow next to her husband, Bob at Memorial Park Cemetery, Battle Creek. Personal messages for the family and/or favorite memories of Ruth may be placed at www.farleyestesdowdle.com