Ruth G. Smith

(Nee Gedamske) Found eternal peace on July 30, 2025 at the age of 100 years. Preceded in death by her husband Kenneth J. Smith. Loving mother of Steve (Barbara) Smith, Paul Smith, and Bart (Tina) Smith. Dear grandma of Ben (Nikki) Smith, Emmy (Joseph) Papas), Abby Smith (Masa Gibson), Alan Smith (Claire Dunne), Pat Smith, Jake Smith, Samantha (John) Solveson, Mishka Smith, Rachel Smith, Amy (Justin) Tyczkowski, Jesse Smith, Kenny Smith, Kellen Smith, Jessie (Adam) Williams and Blake Propst. Great-grandma of Rowan, Rose, Day, Sylvia, Isaac, Thomas, Evelyn, Alaina, Austin, Josephine, Alyssa, Lucas and Victoria.

Visitation will be held on Wednesday August 6 at Elm Grove Evangelical Lutheran Church, 945 Terrace Drive, Elm Grove, from 10 AM until time of Funeral Service at 11 AM. Interment to follow at Caldwell Cemetery.

Ruth started her 100 years on October 17, 1924 in an upstairs flat on the north side of Milwaukee with her parents Walter and Mabel Gedamske living above the landlords her Grandparents Herman and Bertha. Her formal schooling began at Bethesda Lutheran School and finished with her graduation from North Division High in 1938. Ruth's studies continued uninterrupted as she learned daily for the next 83 years.

Ruth started her career as a secretary for First Wisconsin National Bank where she learned not to lean on the under counter burglar alarm, among other things. She went on to marry the love of her life, Kenneth Smith, in 1949. Though she was a 'city girl', under 'country boy' Kenneth's tutelage she learned fishing, hunting, campfire cooking and how to manage cross-country camping trips. Together she and Ken raised 3 sons who were inspired by her love of learning, her deep faith in the Lord, and also picked up some of her culinary expertise. While keeping the household together she also worked outside the home in her vegetable garden, in landscaping and in floral design for a local garden center. Becoming involved in the Western Acres Garden Club led to further study in floral design. She earned ribbons for floral arrangements in many shows and at the Wisconsin State Fair, going on to become a judge of arrangements at shows and at the Fair for 20+ yers since 1992.

Ruth and her daughter-in-law, Judy, built and ran a unique gift shop on their farm featuring their original floral arrangements and handmade dolls. When in her 70's, still going strong, Ruth went to college for creative writing and expanded on what had once been a hobby since high school days. Her poems and stories of characters and incidents drawn from research and experience in her own and Ken's lives and relatives were published in several magazines and self-published monographs with her most recent story of an incident during their 1949 honeymoon, "Doublemint Saved the Day", appearing in the July/August 2025 edition of Good Old Days magazine. She was interested in history, particularly the Civil War and Milwaukee history, and loved to read belonging to several local book clubs.

In addition she was active in the Elm Grove Lutheran choir and bell choir, an EAA volunteer, a docent and tour leader in Historic Downtown Milwaukee, a

photographer, a genealogical researcher and more. She never stopped looking for opportunities to learn and contribute to her community. Ruth will be sorely missed by her children and grandchildren whose lives she influenced in so many ways.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to Elm Grove Ev. Lutheran Church, 945 Terrace Drive, Elm Grove, WI 53122 or online at egl.org in Ruth's memory.