Ruth Anne Kreckman

Ruth Kreckman, 86, of Liberty MO, passed away 1/16/24 at her home in assisted living. A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, February 3, 2024 at Liberty Church of the Nazarene in Liberty, MO. It will be livestreamed, please see link below.
Mrs. Kreckman was born August 21, 1937 in Potsdam, NY to Clark and Ruth C. Maine. She grew up in northern NY, the oldest of 8. She graduated from Keuka College with a degree in Christian Education before marrying Gus Johns. They settled in the Rochester, NY area and had one daughter, Ruth E., before Gus died. Ruth became an elementary teacher to provide a better life for them and she taught 5th and 3rd grades for 26 years. She was very active in Pearce Memorial Free Methodist Church, teaching Sunday School and singing in the choir, among other activities. In 1983 she married fellow choir member Jack Kreckman and they spent many happy loving years together. They spent many summer hours sailing on Lake Ontario before retirement, and after they retired and moved to Mooresville, NC they sailed on Lake Norman all year 'round, while also returning to Lake Ontario to sail with yacht club buddies during the summer. Ruth worked with one of those sailor friends to create an unofficial guide to "Eating Around Lake Ontario" based on their experiences eating out in the various ports and harbors around the Lake! Ruth and Jack also enjoyed exploring the U.S. in their small R.V. (plus cruises to Hawaii and Alaska), and exploring the world through various trips to foreign countries. They even spent the first year of their retirement (in their late 50s) living in Vienna Austria to serve as support staff for Operation Mobilization missionaries.
Once back in the U.S. they chose NC for the lack of snow and the sailing opportunities. They joined and got involved in Rocky Mount United Methodist Church, as well as being volunteers at the hospital and as literacy teachers. Ruth and Jack sang in the church choir and also joined a group called Magnify, a choir that presented concerts every few weeks, enjoying that until they moved to Newton NC in 2014. Ruth continued singing, joining the choir in Newton's Friendship Church, as well as volunteering as the librarian for the church's library. Ruth was a lifelong sewer (mostly clothes for herself and her daughter, while working) so after retirement she started quilting and was a founding member of the Mooresville Centerpiece Quilt Guild. She also expressed her artistic side with gardening, wood-burning, and basket-weaving. She moved to Liberty MO in July 2022 to live in an assisted living facility close to her daughter.
She was preceded in death by: parents Clark and Ruth Maine; husband Gus Johns; husband Jack Kreckman; brother David Maine; and brother Ken Maine.
Ruth is survived by: brothers Robert, Stanley and Louis Maine; sisters Betty Maine Jacob and Laura Solley; daughter Ruth Heath; and stepsons Steve and Tracy Kreckman.