Obituary of Ruth Eleanor Van Duser

Van Duser, Ruth Eleanor passed away peacefully in her Waukesha home at the age of 85, surrounded by her beloved family on the early morning of Thursday, January 20, 2022. Ruth is survived by her loving husband of 67 years, Wallace “Wally” Van Duser. She leaves behind her three children, Doreen Weis (nee Van Duser), Robert (Robin) Van Duser, and Randal (Kathy) Van Duser; and sister-in-law Lana Stogbauer (nee Van Duser). Ruth was a very proud grandmother of seven grandchildren: Janice (Jim), Jim (Lisa), Rachel, Mike, Kayla (Mike), Corina (Tyler), and Bob (Alanis). She was an adoring great-grandmother of seven great-grandchildren: Lucy, Monty, Amelia, Vivian, Josephine, Lenora, and Nathan. Ruth is further survived by cherished friends whom she considered family: Dorothy Rynders, Jim and Kim Niebuhr and family; and countless other dear friends and neighbors. She was preceded in death by her parents, George and Eleanor (nee Clark) Hart, parents-in-law Robert and Lila (nee Diemel) Van Duser, and sisters-in-law Marleen and Crystal.

Ruth was born on December 15, 1936, in Milwaukee, WI. From an early age, she had a very kind and caring heart. The holidays were always very special to her, and she particularly loved Christmas. For years, Ruth enjoyed “Black Friday” shopping, attending the Wisconsin State Fair, Rummage-o-Rama, and going to rummage sales with her husband, children, and grandchildren. Ruth enjoyed vacations with Wally including Alaskan and Caribbean cruises, a trip to Mexico, and several locations throughout the United States. Ruth and Wally also loved taking frequent, in-state road trips to visit family and friends in Bayfield, Antigo, and Summit Lake. These trips often included a stop at a few casinos along the way for some penny slots and a breakfast meal at Schreiner’s Restaurant in Fond du Lac. Ruth loved cooking and baking, as well as frequenting some of her favorite restaurants: Olive Garden, Machine Shed, Gyros West in Waukesha, Palm Sunday brunch at the Mineshaft in Hartford, and a good Chinese buffet. She was a pet lover, and often recounted stories of their family dog, “Sparky”. Ruth and Wally were lifelong members of the Ojibwa Bow Hunters Club, where they have remained active since joining in the 1970s. They and their growing family enjoyed countless meetings, picnics, raffles, pig roasts, and camping excursions over the years, and they were fortunate to develop several lifelong friendships fostered through their mutual appreciation for this club. While Ruth often spoke fondly of these experiences, above all, she was a devoted wife and she deeply cherished her family and the time spent together. As a stay-at-home mother, Ruth dedicated her life to the beautiful family that she and Wally built. Ruth was delighted with the arrival of her grandchildren, and absolutely ecstatic when those great-grandbabies arrived. She was so proud of her family. Her family unconditionally loved her and she will be profoundly missed.

Per Ruth’s wishes, a private celebration of her life was held and there will be a memorial service held at a later date. Ruth’s family would like to send a heartfelt thank you to the compassionate staff of the Pro Health Hospice team for their patience, hard work, and support during the past few weeks.