Grimes, Ruth Thompson

Ruth Thompson Grimes, 94, of Oaknoll Retirement Residence, Iowa City, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, Jan. 26, 2010. Visitation with family members will be from 9 to 10 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 10, at the Westover Chapel in Des Moines, followed by a memorial service and burial in Woodland Cemetery.

 Ruth Thompson Grimes was born Aug. 16, 1915, in Des Moines, daughter of Anna Cram Thompson and Frederick Oliver Thompson. She graduated from the Emma Willard School in Troy, N.Y., and then attended the University of Iowa. On March 29, 1937, she and Howard T. Grimes were married. They made their home in Evanston, Ill., where they resided for over 60 years. In 1973, they purchased a cabin near Allenspark, Colo., where they summered for many years. Following her husband's death in 1999, Ruth moved to Oaknoll Retirement Residence in Iowa City.

 Devoted to her family, Ruth was very actively involved in many community organizations. Ruth was a lifelong participant in the PEO Club with its focus on young women's education. She was a 60-year member of the First Congregational Church in Evanston and a key organizer of the annual rummage sale. She was a long-term member and for many years president of the Evanston Garden Club. She established and maintained a much-loved community flower garden off Central Avenue in Evanston. As a member of the Evanston Historical Society, she served as a docent at the Evanston Lighthouse. She volunteered with The Cradle, Infant Welfare Society, Infant Day Care Center and Northwestern Settlement House in Evanston. For many years she actively supported the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago. She was a counselor at the Harms Woods Day Camp for underprivileged children, and she was a Girl Scout leader. In Colorado, she was a 20-year member of the Kelley House, a community-service organization.

 Ruth will be remembered for her wonderful generosity of spirit and her graciousness. Ruth had a passion for gardening, and she was never happier than when working the soil and planting. She loved creating dish gardens and was known for her rock-collecting.

 She is survived by daughters, Ruth (Dale) Gingerich of Carmel, Calif., Marilyn Grimes of Taos, N.M., and Susan (John) Dotson of Carmel, Calif.; grandchildren, Brian Gingerich, Jane (Darwin) Mesch, Barb (Keith) Schweitzer, Joan (Glenn) Siders, Grant Gingerich, Brendan (Sara Anne) Dotson, Adam Dotson and Caitlin Dotson; six great-grandchildren; and one great-great-grandson.

 She was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Howard; two sisters, Anna Cram (Nancy) Thompson and Agnes Louise Thompson Stack; one brother, Frederick Oliver (Fritz) Thompson Jr.; one granddaughter at birth; and one great-grandson.

 Memorials can be directed to gardening and landscaping projects at Oaknoll Retirement Residence in Iowa City.