Ruth Maschke

Ruth H. Maschke (nee Schuchardt), residing in Cedarburg, Wisconsin, died on November 16, 2016, at the age of 93 years. She will be dearly missed by all who knew her.
Ruth was born on August 17, 1923, in Sheboygan, Wis., the daughter of Lucille and Harvey Schuchardt. She led a happy, contented and blessed life because she had connections. Her first connection was to become a child of God through Holy Baptism. She was told that she sang a duet with another baby at the time. Her second connection was the joy of being brought up in a Christian family with loving parents, sisters, grandmother, aunts, uncles and cousins who were together often for picnics and beach parties. She attended Kohler public schools. In second grade she wrote a poem winning a poetry book given by Marie C. Kohler that influenced her future poetry writing. A fine music teacher and piano instructor were also influential. Confirmation was a high point when the Bible passage from John 1, "In the beginning was the Word..." became alive for her.
Her next connection was college since she was given a Kohler Family Scholarship for two years at the University of Wisconsin (Madison), majoring in music, hoping to make people happy and praise the Lord. She transferred to St. Olaf College, in Northfield, Minnesota, where she graduated with a B.A. in 1945. She earned a Masters in Liberal Studies from Rockford College (now University) in 1983 at the age of 60.
She married her high school sweetheart, Robert O. Maschke, on June 29, 1946, in Kohler, Wis., after a seven year off-and-on courtship. He died in 2008. In addition to her husband, Ruth was preceded in death by her parents and two sisters, Edith Forsberg and her family, and Jean Oberdeck.
She is survived by her sons, Timothy (Sharon) of Grafton, Jonathan (Pamela) of Milwaukee, Samuel of New York, and Jeremy (fiancé, Beth) of Illinois; four grandchildren, Jedidiah (Anna) of Nevada, Benjamin (Jennifer) of Minnesota, Nathanael of Texas, and Tiffany of Florida, and five great-grandchildren-Alaethea, Josiah, Emelia, Abigail, and Madelynn, along with a niece, Katherine Oberdeck-Munro of Urbana, Illinois, and her family.
After college, Ruth taught elementary school music in Sheboygan County for a year and then moved with her husband to Schubert, Missouri; Decatur, Alabama; Glenbeulah, Wisconsin; Windsor, Ontario; Denison, Iowa, and Rockford, Illinois, before retiring in Kohler, Wisconsin. Her last years were spent in Cedarburg, near her family. She devoted many years to raising her sons and helping in various congregation activities with her husband, a pastor for the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod. She served as an organist and choir director in several of his congregations. She assisted in many church organizations, 4-H activities and also helped in two high schools in Sheboygan, Wisconsin. Later, she served as a librarian in Windsor, Ontario, and taught English in a number of high schools in the Rockford (Illinois) School District.
In 1990, she moved to Kohler with her husband, where she later cared for Robert as he struggled with Parkinson's disease. During retirement, Ruth volunteered with the Literacy Council in Sheboygan and substituted as a church organist for Lutheran congregations throughout Sheboygan County.
Ruth also enjoyed piano playing and writing. She has published devotions for children in several editions of My Devotions and Little Visits with God, as well as a number of her children's songs. She was remained involved, even playing the piano occasionally at Lasata Care Center for church services a week before her birthday. She would like to be remembered for these children's devotions, songs, and poetry, and her love for her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Ruth's Lutheran faith was a central part of her life, from which she drew great comfort and gladness. One of her last poems was written when she was 90:
"Remember Me," our Savior said.
"Remember me," is my reply, "whether I live or die,
Remember me, while seeking Your face,
Not for my deeds, but by Your grace."
Funeral Services will be held at 11:00AM on Tuesday, November 22, 2016 at Ballhorn Chapels, 1201 N. 8th St., Sheboygan. Rev. Alan Kretschmar will officiate. The family will receive visitors at the funeral home on Tuesday from 10:00-11:00AM.
Ruth will be laid to rest beside her husband Robert at Woodland Cemetery in Kohler.
In lieu of other expressions of sympathy, the family requests memorials be made to the "Robert and Ruth Scholarship Fund" at Concordia University Wisconsin, established to assist in the training of Lutheran pastors, Lutheran teachers, and Lutheran social workers.