Ruthetta Kriss

Ruthetta ‘Ruthie’ Kriss was born 9-27-1931 to Lloyd Jefferson Holder and Opal Bessie Kellett in a small town at home, in Galena, Missouri. She was the first of four children, Delia Mae, Larry and Delbert. She remembers being band leader at the tender age of 7 and starring in a school play. Her father moved the family to Kansas City during the war in 1942 to work at a factory.

She graduated from Wyandotte High School in 1949, married in 1952 and moved to the territory of Alaska where the first of her children would be born. She worked for Sealright from 1958 until 1962 off and on, eventually working for International Harvester from 1962 until she retired 26 years later. She had been a member of Quayle Methodist Church, attending at the young age of 12 years old and later joining with Trinity United Methodist Church from 1975 to 2019.

Ruthie leaves behind many who she touched, loved and prayed for: son Don Jr [wife Linda], son Terry [wife Jan], daughter Roxann [husband Thom], son Curtis [wife Joyce], several grandchildren, greatgrandchildren and great greatgrandchildren. She was preceded home by her parents, her brothers Larry, Delbert, sister Delia Mae, son David and great granddaughter Magdalene ‘Maggie’. What a wonderful home coming there must have been. She was daughter, sister, mother, aunt, Nana, Mago, grandmother and great grandmother. A Great Lady who was loved by all who met her. She was adored and will be missed. We have lost a great prayer warrior, but Heaven has gained a true saint.

She always had a song in her heart and hummed all the time.

We thought it was because she could not hear.

Maybe this was to drown out the noise and focus on praising God.

Hmmmmmm