Add a Memory
Send Flowers
Make a Donation
Ruth DeGroot Obituary
Ruth Elinor DeGroot, 91, of Ottawa, Kansas, died Wednesday, June 4, 2025 at Wellsville Health & Rehabilitation, Wellsville, Kansas.
Funeral services will be 10am, Thursday, June 12, 2025, at Dengel & Son Mortuary, Ottawa.
Ruth was born Thursday, June 15, 1933, in McGregor, Iowa, the daughter of Gustov and Hermine (Nordemann) Schwietert.
She lived eighteen years in McGregor, Iowa, four years in Cedar Falls, Iowa, twelve years in Des Moines, Iowa, twenty-five years in Overland Park, Kansas and thirty years in Ottawa, Kansas.
She graduated from McGregor High School in 1951and the University of Northern Iowa with a BA in Business Education in December 1954.
Ruth was united in marriage with Jay DeGroot June 23, 1956, in Parkersburg, Iowa. He preceded her in death November 30, 2020.
She was also preceded in death by her son, John DeGroot on February 16, 2021.
Survivors include her daughter, Shirley DeGroot and her husband, Richard McCarthy of Moody, Texas.
Ruth worked from 1955 until retiring in 1995 in business education, teaching in multiple high schools and business colleges.
She was a member of Knox Presbyterian Church in Overland Park, Kansas and she loved to travel, read, work puzzles, and watch Chiefs football and KU basketball.
The family suggests memorial contributions to Knox Presbyterian Church c/o Dengel &Son Mortuary, 235 S. Hickory St., Ottawa, KS 66067.
To share your memories of Ruth or to send a special condolence message to her family, please visit the guestbook below.
To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.
235 S. Hickory St., Ottawa, KS 66067
People and places connected with Ruth
Recent Obituaries
Recent Obituaries
Recent Obituaries
Memories and Condolences
for Ruth DeGroot
Tell your own story about Ruth
Memories and condolences can be left on the obituary at the funeral home website.
How you can show support
Send flowers
Consider sending flowers.
Add photos
Share their life with photo memories.
Plant trees
Honor them by planting trees in their memory.
Follow this page
Get email updates whenever changes are made.
Donate in Memory
Make a donation in memory of your loved one.
Share this page
Invite other friends and family to visit the page.
Make a Donation
in Ruth DeGroot's name
How to support Ruth's loved ones
Honor a beloved veteran with a special tribute of ‘Taps’ at the National WWI Memorial in Washington, D.C.
The nightly ceremony in Washington, D.C. will be dedicated in honor of your loved one on the day of your choosing.
Read more
Should I Send Sympathy Flowers?
What kind of arrangement is appropriate, where should you send it, and when should you send an alternative?
Read more
What Should I Write in a Sympathy Card?
We'll help you find the right words to comfort your family member or loved one during this difficult time.
Read moreResources to help you cope with loss
Estate Settlement Guide
If you’re in charge of handling the affairs for a recently deceased loved one, this guide offers a helpful checklist.
Read more
Obituaries, grief & privacy: Legacy’s news editor on NPR podcast
Legacy's Linnea Crowther discusses how families talk about causes of death in the obituaries they write.
Read more
The Five Stages of Grief
They're not a map to follow, but simply a description of what people commonly feel.
Read moreWays to honor Ruth DeGroot's life and legacy
Obituary Examples
You may find these well-written obituary examples helpful as you write about your own family.
Read more
Obituary Templates – Customizable Examples and Samples
These free blank templates make writing an obituary faster and easier.
Read more
How Do I Write a Eulogy?
Some basic help and starters when you have to write a tribute to someone you love.
Read more
