Ruth DuPuis

Ruth L. DuPuis, 93, of 21 Lakeview Drive - Mason City, died Saturday, July 21, 2012, at the Muse Norris Hospice Inpatient Unit. Funeral services will be held at 10:00 A.M. on Tuesday, July 24, 2012, at Major Erickson Funeral Home, 111 N. Pennsylvania Avenue, with Rev. Sean McRoberts of First United Methodist Church and Rev. Don Simmonds officiating. Visitation will be one hour prior to the service. Interment will be at the Elm Grove Cemetery in Washington, IA, with Rev. Jim Stiles officiating. Memorials may be directed to the Humane Society of North Iowa, 2700 South Birch Drive Mason City, IA 50401. Ruth was born June 14, 1919, to Will B. and Lucile (Pennell) DuPuis in Washington, IA. She graduated from Washington High School in 1937 and the University of Iowa in 1941, with a major in music and a minor in speech. There she was a member of the University Choir and the University Concert Band. For her participation in the latter she received the University Gold Key. Ruth received a Masters in Education degree from Drake University in 1958. Additional graduate work was done at the University of Colorado, University of Connecticut, Colorado State University, and Iowa State University. She was employed with the U.S. Navy Pre-Flight School in Iowa City in 1944. Ruth taught music at Solon, Wellman, and Boone, IA before coming to Mason City in 1945, where she was vocal music instructor at Monroe Junior High School through 1957. She taught freshman English at Mason City Junior College before becoming director of community relations at North Iowa Area Community College, a position held until retirement in 1982. Ruth served as public relations director for the Iowa Association of Junior Colleges from 1963-65, and was a three-term member of the NIACC Foundation Board. She was also a five-year member of the Iowa Department of Classroom Teachers Board and was responsible for “Sounding Board”, the group’s state publication. Following retirement from education she was a freelance writer and photographer working for the Mason City Globe Gazette, The Des Moines Register, the Minneapolis Star Tribune, the Brainerd (MN) Daily Dispatch, The Iowan Magazine and Prime Time for Seniors. Ruth was a long-time member of First United Methodist Church and the Humane Society of North Iowa. She was a charter member of Xi Chapter of Delta Kappa Gamma, international honorary for women in education, and a 50 year member of the organization. Survivors include cousins: Paul Peiffer of Grinnell, IA, Barbara Steele of Washington, and Robert DuPuis of Burlington, IA. She was preceded in death by her parents and a brother, Keith Eugene, in infancy.

Cemetery:
Interment will be at the Elm Grove Cemetery in Washington, IA

Memorials may be directed to the Humane Society of North Iowa, 2700 South Birch Drive Mason City, IA 50401

Visitation:
Visitation will be one hour prior to the service

Service:
Funeral services will be held at 10:00 A.M. on Tuesday, July 24, 2012, at Major Erickson Funeral Home