Ruth H. Paine

Ruth H. Paine, 96, of Racine, WI, and formerly of Mason City, IA, died Tuesday, September 6, 2016, at Lakeshore Manor in Racine. Funeral services will be held 2:00 PM on Saturday, September 17, 2016, at Major Erickson Funeral Home, 111 N. Pennsylvania Avenue, Mason City with The Rev. Warren Frelund, Deacon, officiating. There will be a gathering of family and friends one hour prior to the service. Inurnment will take place in Elmwood St. Joseph Cemetery. Memorials may be directed to the Charles MacNider Art Museum, 303 2nd Street S.E., Mason City, IA 50401 or the First Methodist Church, 119 S. Georgia, Mason City, IA 50401.

Ruth was born January 5, 1920, in Sibley, IA, the daughter of Edward and Bertha (Peters) Hoeck. She graduated from Sibley High School in 1937 and continued her education at Lindenwood College in St. Charles, MO before earning her BA degree in Music Education from Northwestern University in Evanston, IL. She was involved with the Music and Speech Society and Phi Beta. She then taught in Royal Oak, MI for one year. Ruth married Henry T. Paine on August 12, 1942, in Sibley. The Paines moved to Mason City in 1943. Ruth taught piano for many years. She was a member of the First United Methodist Church where she was a member of the church choir and helped start the Bell Choir. She was also a member of Maria Mitchell Study Club, 58+ year member and past president of Matinee Musicale, Charter member and past president of P.E.O. Chapter KX, P.E.O. Reciprocity Organization, and the Iowa Music Teachers Association. Ruth was involved in the musical life of Mason City for as long as she was a resident.

Ruth is survived by her daughter, Prudence White of Racine, Wisconsin; son, Greg Paine of Elk River, Minnesota; 4 grandchildren: Marcus (Ann) White of Milwaukee; Suzannah (George) Fischer of Colorado Springs; Charles (Lisa) White, Racine; and Heather Paine, Rochester MN; and 4 great-grandchildren: Sebastian White, Racine WI; and Jack, Henry, and Molly Fischer of Colorado Springs.She is also survived by her niece, Dr. Barbara Hoeck Miller and family of Rockville, MD; and nephew Ed Hoeck and family of Salisbury, MD.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband of 72 years in 2014; a son in infancy; brother, Dr. LeRoy E. Hoeck; and son-in-law, the Rt. Rev. Roger White.