Ruth Arlene Kelck

Ruth A. Kelck, 79, of Mason City, died Wednesday, June 19, 2013, at the Muse Norris Hospice Inpatient Unit. Funeral services will be held at 10:00 AM, on Saturday, June 22, 2013, at Hanford Community Church, 12411 Spruce Avenue – Mason City, with Rev. Paul Boostrom officiating. Interment will take place in Elmwood-St. Joseph Cemetery. Visitation will be held one hour prior to the church service. Memorials may be directed to the Hanford Community Church. Ruth Arlene Kelck was born February 20, 1934, the daughter of Frank and Daisy (Barber) Kelck in Bath Township, Cerro Gordo county. Ruth attended Bath Township No. 6 school for grades 1-8 and graduated from Mason City High School in 1952 and Mason City Junior College in 1954. She then taught school for two years in West Bend and Clear Lake before graduating from Wheaton College (IL) with a B.A. degree in education in 1957. After teaching sixth grade for another year at Clear Lake, she attended St. Paul Bible College (MN) for one year in preparation for her lifework as a missionary-teacher. In the fall of 1959 she left for Vietnam to teach at the Dalat International School for missionary children, then located in Dalat, Vietnam. On her first furlough she attended the University of lowa and earned an MA degree in school counseling. Ruth served with the Christian and Missionary Alliance for 43 years before retiring in 2002. Thirty-seven of those years were in Malaysia, where the school relocated due to the escalation of the Vietnam war in the mid- sixties. Ruth was a flexible person and filled the roles of teacher, school counselor, principal and director during her years of ministry. Ruth loved to teach, to learn, and to serve. In her retirement years she continued to teach Sunday School and speak as well as taking classes at NIACC. Ruth was a life-time member of the Hanford Community church and enjoyed reading & sewing. Ruth is survived by one sister: Marion Baker and husband Robert of Clear Lake; two nieces: Dianne Abbott and husband Dan of Waterloo, IA and Linda Schwickerath and husband Lynn of New Hampton, IA; two nephews: Dennis Baker and wife Patti of Clear Lake and Lynn Kelck and wife Beverly of West Union, IA. She was preceded in death by her parents; one brother: Leonard Kelck; one sister: Emma Clubb; and one nephew: Larry Baker.

Cemetery:
Interment will take place in Elmwood-St. Joseph Cemetery

Memorials may be directed to the Hanford Community Church

Visitation:
Visitation will be held one hour prior to the church service

Service:
Funeral services will be held at 10:00 AM, on Saturday, June 22, 2013, at Hanford Community Church, 12411 Spruce Avenue – Mason City