Ruth N. Hoffbeck

Visitation for Ruth N. Hoffbeck (Morehouse), 80, of Palatine, will be held Friday February 27, 2015 from 3:00PM to 8:00PM at the Ahlgrim Family Funeral Home, 201 N. Northwest Highway, Palatine.  The Visitation will continue Saturday, February 28, 2015 from 9:00AM until the time of the Funeral Service, 10:00 AM at the First United Methodist Church of Palatine, 123 N. Plum Grove Road, Palatine.  An Interment will follow at Memory Gardens Cemetery, Arlington Heights.

Ruth was born March 9, 1934 at home in rural Day County, South Dakota to Emma (Raeder) and Archie Morehouse.  She attended country grade and high school, and continued her passion for working with children by attaining a bachelor’s degree in education from Northern University in Aberdeen, SD.  She was the first in her family to attend college and paid her way by working daily during school, and taking summer jobs in Yellowstone, MN, ME, and San Francisco.  She taught in SD, IA, MN, and IL – spending 16 years as an elementary teacher in Palatine’s School District 15.  Additionally, for many years she ran the pre-school at Palatine’s First United Methodist Church where she was an active member for 46 years.

In 1959 she married Willis “Bill” Hoffbeck . They moved from Minnesota to Palatine in 1968. Together they have three children, Ann (Ray) Berens of River Forest, IL, Patricia (Denis) Shine of Ellisville, MO, and Bert (Cheryl) Hoffbeck of Portland, OR, and seven grandchildren, Michael and Jackie Berens, Alex and Brendan Shine, Olivia, Georgia and Lars Hoffbeck.

She was the dear sister of Jean (late Hazen) Ward, Ivan (Carolyn) Morehouse and Robert “Beet” (Gloria) Morehouse.  She was also affectionately known as “Great Aunt Ruthie” and “Gamma Ruffie.”  She had many hobbies including gardening, Bridge playing, and making pies. She was a dear and supportive grandmother, aunt, cousin and friend to many, and will be greatly missed.

Ruth died after a long, brave battle with cancer and Alzheimer’s disease.  Memorials may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association, 8430 W. Bryn Mawr Ave., Chicago, IL 60631 and the First United Methodist Church in Palatine.