Ruth Ann Loebach of Algona, formerly of Burt, passed away Saturday evening, September 23, 2023 at Good Samaritan Care Center in Algona. Memorial Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Saturday, September 30, 2023, at 10:00 AM at Divine Mercy Catholic Parish - St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in Bancroft. Inurnment will take place at a later date. Visitation will be held on Friday, September 29, 2023, from 4:00 PM until 7:00 PM with a Catholic Daughters of America Rosary held at 3:30 PM at Lentz Funeral Home in Algona. Services have been entrusted to Lentz Funeral Home of Algona. www.lentzfuneralhome.com
Ruth Ann was born June 6, 1943, the second of three children and the only daughter of Alvin and Florence (Geishecker) Klein of rural Irvington. She was very active in 4-H and attended St. Joseph’s Catholic School in St. Joe, graduating as the valedictorian of Bishop Garrigan High School’s class of 1961. She attended Briar Cliff College as a math major before marrying Joe E. Loebach of Whittemore on July 6, 1963, at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in St. Joe. The couple farmed and raised seven children on a farm east of Burt, Iowa. Ruth Ann was an expert seamstress, gardener of both vegetables and flowers, canner, and baker; she made sure all her children could sew, refinish furniture, tend a garden, and bake bread. She and Joe are well known for the horseradish they grew on the farm and donated to St. John’s annual bazaar.
Ruth Ann and Joe enjoyed traveling to visit their children and grandchildren, but they particularly delighted in having the grandchildren visit them on the farm. The grandchildren helped plant and harvest, weed and mow, can and bake. Ruth Ann passed on family recipes and traditions that have shaped the lives of her children and grandchildren and will reverberate through future generations; Ruth Ann ensured her family received the Psalmist’s “goodly heritage.” (Psalm 16.6)
In addition to being a farm wife and mother, Ruth Ann was a 4-H leader, Porkette, St. John’s parishioner, and active member of the Kossuth County Democrats. After working overnights for several years at Exceptional Opportunities in Burt, Ruth Ann went back to school through Iowa Lakes Community College to become a certified medical assistant (CMA) with Exceptional Opportunities in Algona. For a number of years, Ruth Ann was the membership secretary for the Kossuth Country Community Concert series. From 2003-2020, Ruth Ann served on the Iowa Citizen Foster Care Review Board and in 2018 won the Governor’s Volunteer Service Award, established “to honor the dedicated people who volunteer their time and talent to help an agency or organization deliver on its mission.”
Ruth Ann will be dearly missed by her husband of 60 years, Joe E. Loebach of Algona; Joseph (Julie) Wetherell of San Diego, CA, and sons Peter and Kevin; Mary Ann (William) Riesen of Mason City, and children Nicholas of Ames, Anthony of Mason City, Anna (Devon) Nachtman of Rowley, IA, and Jacob of Madison, WI; Jeanette Bosveld and daughter Alex of Marshall, MN; Ed (Melissa) Loebach of Racine, WI; Eugene (Amelia) Loebach of Rockford, IL, and daughter Marian (Theodore) Rockleman and her daughter Astria Bauer of El Paso, TX; and, Pat (Erin) Loebach and children Bella and Alex of Ames; brothers Stanley (Pam) Klein of LuVern, IA, and Norman (Jean) Klein of Lubbock, TX; and siblings-in-law John (Yvonne) Loebach of Rosemont, MN; Mary Timmers of Atlanta, GA; Dave Loebach of Nampa, ID; Ann (Thom) Schwetye of Clayton, MO; and Leonard (Dianne) Loebach of Whittemore, as well as many nieces, nephews, relatives and friends. Ruth Ann is preceded in death by her son Anthony Loebach, granddaughter Megan Wetherell, and siblings-in-law Frank Timmers and Cindy Loebach.
