After a brief stay at Wheaton Franciscan-All Saints Medical Center, Ottilia Ruelle was born into eternal life on Thursday November 30, 2006. She entered this world in Racine on June 9, 1914, the daughter of the late Joseph and Josephine (nee:Scheible) Gedemer.
Ottilia was a 1928 graduate of Holy Name Grade School and a 1932 graduate of St. Catherine’s High School. On June 22, 1940 she was united in marriage Earl Ruelle, who preceded her in death on May 03, 1957. She was a secretary at Western Publishing Company for over 20 years, retiring in 1979. Mrs. Ruelle was a lifelong member of St. Richard Catholic Church (formerly Holy Name) and the Christian Mothers Society. She always kept busy, whether she was making puppets for the children in the pediatric department of St. Mary’s Hospital, knitting lap robes for nursing home patients, gardening, reading, playing cards, watching game shows on T.V. or spending time with her family and friends, Ottilia was never idle for long. Ottilia was a music lover; she especially liked Christmas music and the music from the Phantom of the Opera, and enjoyed attending concerts directed by her son Keith and granddaughter Julie Vodicka, accompanied by Jeanne Kocha. She was always in the audience of the performances of her grandchildren and great grandchildren. She was most proud of her children, and was completely devoted to her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Her greatest loves were her God, her family & friends, and her flowers.
She is survived by her devoted sons and daughters-in-law; Don and Judy Ruelle of Bryan, OH, and Keith and Judy Ruelle of Racine; her grandchildren; Russ (Susan) Ruelle, Ron (Belinda) Ruelle, Renee (John) Gordon, Rich (Shannon) Ruelle, Jeanne (Tim) Kocha, Julie (Brian) Vodicka, Liz (Tom) Rewolinski, and Leslie Anderson; her great grandchildren Becky and Jack Kocha, Katie and Julia Ruelle, Lillian Ruelle and Max Gordon; her brothers and sisters, Joseph (Nel) Gedemer, LaVerne Horton, Jerome Gedemer all of Racine, Marian Gedemer of Roland Heights, CA, her sisters-in-law Betty Gedemer and Geri Gedemer. Nieces, nephews, other relatives and many friends further survive her. In addition to her parents and husband, she was preceded in death by her daughter and son-in-law Mary Jean and Bill Anderson, her great granddaughter Emily Ruelle, her father-in-law and mother-in-law Levi and Diehl Ruelle, her brothers and sisters and their spouses, Virginia Gedemer, Norb Gedemer, Eugene Gedemer, Richard (Josephine) Gedemer, Marvin (LaVerne) Gedemer, Catherine (Martin) Pekar, Evelyn (Oliver) Hettig, Al Horton, and Loretta Gedemer.
Ottilia’s Funeral Mass will be celebrated at 10:30a.m. on Monday Dec. 4th, at St. Richard Catholic Church, 15th and Grand Ave., with Rev. Brian Mason officiating. Visitation will be at Draeger Langendorf Funeral Home on Sunday from 3:00 p.m. until 6:00 p.m. and in the church on Monday from 9:30 a.m. until the time of the Mass. Burial will follow in Holy Cross Cemetery. The family has suggested memorials to either St. Catherine’s High School or St. Richard Catholic Church.
The family would like to extend their heartfelt thanks to the staff at Villa St. Anna–especially to Beth, who Ottilia came to think of as a granddaughter in the past year, and to Dr. Robert Gullberg for his kind and compassionate care of Ottilia over the years.
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