Ruth Berberich, age 85, of Delavan passed away on Saturday, August 19, 2023, at Javon Bea Hospital in Rockford. Ruth was born in Mt. Vernon, IL on July 21, 1938, to Robert and Anna Wagner. Ruth was a Sigma Kappa at Southern Illinois University. After graduation, she moved to Oak Park, IL where she worked downtown Chicago as a buyer for Sears. She took a break from the corporate world when she married and had kids, devoting all her time to raising her children and serving as the bookkeeper for her husband’s advertising business. In the mid 80’s she decided it was time to get back to it and took a position at a Management Consulting Firm in Oak Park, IL, where she managed the office up through retirement in 2002.
Upon retirement she moved to Lake Oswego, Oregon to enjoy the beauty and moderate temperatures of the Pacific Northwest. In an attempt to stay productive, she volunteered at the Adult Community Center where she served as the bookkeeper and ran their local Meals on Wheels program. After several years of volunteer work, the city transitioned her position into a full-time program with pension and it didn’t take much convincing for her to agree to come out of retirement and continue along in an official capacity. While in Portland she was able to be close to daughter, Barbara and had the great gift of being there every step of the way for her two grandchildren (Nyah and Kai) during their most important years in life. As they became more independent in the high school years, a new grandchild from the mid-west came into the mix. Ruth decided at that point that it was time to move back to Illinois in 2016 and she shifted her focus to be there for her youngest Daughter Ann, Son in law Jeff, Granddaughter Emerson, and her oldest Son Steven. Temporarily, Ruth landed in a condo on the northside of Chicago and lived directly behind Wrigley Field the very same year the Cubs won the world series. Man oh man was she a baseball fan….and it was just her luck that the Chicago Cubs were her long-time team of choice. She eventually settled down in LaGrange, IL and with a yearning to give back to her new community, she volunteered for Aging Care Connections Agency right in town doing office work and supporting the Benefits Assistance Program. In April 2020, Ruth joined her youngest daughter and family in a relocation from the Chicagoland area to Turtle Lake, Wisconsin. Ruth was known for being a selfless supporter and for always putting others needs before her own. She loved to golf, travel, play cards, visit with friends, and get a good bargain.
Ruth is survived by her children, Ann (Jeff) Hufford, of Delavan, WI, Barbara Berberich of Portland, OR and Steven Berberich of River Forest, IL; grandchildren, Nyah Swanson, Kai Swanson, and Emerson Hufford; Pre-Deceased by daughter Elizabeth Berberich and Ex-Husband William J. Berberich.
A Celebration of Life will be held on September 23rd, 2023. There will be a visitation from 11-12pm, a service from 12-1pm and a social gathering & luncheon that will take place after the Services at the Turtle Lake Tap and Grill, N6513 Anderson Drive in Delavan, WI, 53115.
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