Ruth E. Vetter

Ruth E. Vetter 1921-2012 Funeral service for Ruth E. Vetter, age 90 of Princeton, will be Monday, Apr 02, 2012 at 3:00 PM at the Norberg Memorial Home. Pastor John Weborg will officiate. Burial will follow in the Oakland Cemetery on Apr 02, 2012. The family will receive friends on Sunday, Apr 01, 2012 from 3:00 PM to 6:00 PM at the Norberg Memorial Home. Ruth Evangeline Olson Vetter passed away suddenly on Tuesday, Mar 27, 2012 at her home. She is survived by her husband of 67 years, Raymond E. Vetter, Sr.; two daughters Pamela V. Houskeeper (Douglas) of Milford, Pennsylvania, and Deborah A. Vetter (Rick Ladenburger) of Princeton, Illinois; three grandchildren Linnea D. A. Houskeeper Silien (Gary), Amber Fox (Scott), and Heather A. Houskeeper; two great-grandchildren Christian Fox and Natasha Faber; and numerous nieces and nephews who loved her deeply. She was preceded in death by her parents, two brothers, three sisters, and one son, Raymond E. Vetter, Jr. Ruth was born in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, on November 17, 1921, the daughter of Herman Olson and Anna Kristine Aarøe Olson, Swedish-Norwegian immigrants who worked in the China missionary field. After her mother’s death, 14-year-old Ruth came to the Covenant Children’s Home, where she met her future husband, Ray, a fellow resident. They married on May 17, 1944, when he was home on leave from the Navy. Ruth graduated from Princeton High School and worked at Pioneer Hi-Bred in Princeton until her retirement in 1986. She took a break to raise her three children and care for a number of foster babies awaiting adoption through the Covenant Children’s Home. In her gentle way, she helped many people throughout her life, doing so quietly and without seeking recognition. She was serving as a volunteer for the Bureau Valley Area Hospice at the time of her death. Ruth was an avid reader, a world traveler, a deft hand at crocheting and knitting, a great pie baker, and a loving wife, mother, grandmother, and “auntie.” Her family will miss her very much. Memorials can be directed to Bureau Valley Area Hospice or Covenant Children’s Ministries.

Ruth E. Vetter

November 17, 1921 - March 27, 2012