Ruth Van Oel, Married High School Sweetheart, Worked at Kresge, SMS Cafeteria

Ruth Sharon Van Oel, age 80, of Saline, Michigan, peacefully went home to be with her Lord Jesus on Monday, February 17, 2025 after an extended illness.

She was born in Detroit, Michigan on March 25, 1944, to Lawrence and Catherine Ouellette. She is survived by her husband Robert; daughter Jennifer Hasija (John); daughter Cynthia Maynard (Jason); granddaughter Keturah Mastrogiacomo (Anthony), grandson and granddaughter Colin and Victoria Maynard; and her beloved black lab Joey. She was preceded in death by her parents and four brothers—Phil, Richard, Gary, and Danny.

Ruth and Robert were high school sweethearts and graduated together in 1963 from Mackenzie High School in Detroit. They were married on Memorial Day, May 30, 1964. They enjoyed boating, fishing, and visiting Belle Isle and Edgewater Park.

They moved from Detroit to Saline in 1977, and worked alongside each other on their family farms, taking care of horses and various farm animals throughout the years. She loved to garden, read, cook, and host weekly family dinners for her children and their families. Ruth was very devoted to her children and grandchildren and will be deeply missed by them.

Ruth was a secretary for a buyer at Kresge from 1963 to 1972. She was then a homemaker until both of her children were in high school, when she then worked in the cafeteria at the Saline Middle School from 1989 until she retired in 2014.

She accepted the Lord as her Savior in October 1992 and joined Ann Arbor Baptist Church, where she has been a member ever since.

Friends may join the family for a time of visitation on Tuesday, February 25, 2025 from 4:00 P.M. to 5:00 P.M. at Ann Arbor Baptist Church, 2150 South Wagner Rd, Ann Arbor, MI, 48103. Funeral Services will be held at 5:00 P.M. and Pastor Jonathan Barber will officiate the service. A Dinner will be held at the Church, following the service. Burial will take place privately at a later time in the Oakwood Cemetery in Saline. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions in her name may be made to Faith Promise Missions. To leave a memory you have of Ruth, to sign her online guestbook or for directions please visit www.rbfhsaline.com

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