Ruth M Schreiner

Ruth Mary (Allen) Schreiner made her final triumphant journey on August 10, 2011, when her loving friend and glorious savior came to lift her up to her mansion in heaven. She had been planning this sojourn for a long while and told everyone that she had her ticket to heaven and that “It’s one way and has no return.” She left her earthly body racked by pain and suffering to dawn a perfect spiritual mantle,After a grueling train trip from Ansley, Nebraska to Alliance Nebraska, she was born to Agnes Mary (Duncanson) Allen and Peter Gildeon Allen on August 4th 1914, at the home of her Aunt Jessie Gentry. She was welcomed home by her two older brothers, Wayne and Orval and was later joined by her brother Bery) (Bud) four years later. She was also lucky to have an older sister Lula who came with Peter when he married Agnes.In her babyhood and early childhood, she and her family lived on ranches in Nebraska and then in Burwell, Nebraska, where much of her grammar school education occurred. In the summer of 1927, she and her family struck out in a Model A Ford touring car and traveled to Colorado to visit relatives, camping as they went. Their main destination was the Stratton-Kirk area as well as Wray, where Grampa Duncanson (01’ e Doc Duncanson) and his wife were retired. They did, however, brave a side trip to the Rocky Mountains. By all accounts this was an eventful trip giving opportunity for many remembered stories of pushing the car more than riding, of breaks failing when coming down mountain roads, continuous flat tires and overheated engine, inclement weather, and all else that goes with camping. After being gone for a month, they returned to Nebraska readying themselves for yet another adventure. Her father bought land to homestead in South Dakota near the Badlands located between the Pine Ridge and the Rosebud Sioux Indian reservations. They lived in a tent until a log house could be completed. It was essentially a one room structure with a dirt floor. Nevertheless, it was a very welcoming event as they moved in just in time for the first hard frost of the fall.Ruth completed her eighth grade education that year and was achieving the award of valedictorian of all the schools in Wahabaugh county. She took first in the spelling contest and won special recognition for her artwork. Because there were no high schools for over forty miles and no transportation, she was unable to continue her education. However, she was a self-taught scholar throughout her life and liked nothing better than a lively discussion on the affairs of the world. Following graduation she began making a living by working in other peoples homes where she learned many cooking skills which came in handy as her life was filled with feeding people. She was well known for her apple pies and cherry cobbler as well as fried chicken.In the fall of 1934, Ruth came to Colorado to seek employment and lived with her various aunts and uncles near Kirk and in Stratton. The main source of entertainment was barn dances, chiveries, house warmings and lituaries. At one such chivery she met a very tall, handsome man with “beautiful eyes”. This started a 65 year courtship for the rest of their lives. She and August (Gus) Walter Schreiner became engaged on April 1st 1935, to which her family wanted to make sure it wasn’t an April Fool’s prank. Her uncle Dwight Dunincson made a $5.00 wager that Gus wouldn’t take off time to get married until all the corn was picked and the feed stacked: However one of the few rains in 1935 started on September 7, and Gus came to take Ruth to the Kit Carson County Courthouse to get married as it was too wet for him to work in the field. They and a cousin and girlfriend braved the roads and went to Burlington where the Honorable Judge McGee married them. They used the $5.00 dollars to buy the license and Gus had another $5.00 to pay for gas and for a wedding feast of Hamburgers. They came home to his father’s house north of Vona where they lived for some time. The morning after the wedding they got up a 5:00am so Gus could get to work and Ruth cooked three meals for farm hands. When they moved to their own little “love nest” it was a two room dwelling with a borrowed kitchen table with a 6 inch crack down the middle and a cook stove with three legs and a stack of bricks to hold it steady. Cow chips were found to be a fine source of heat and fuel to cook with and was much cheaper than other more civilized forms of fuel. Cows had to be milked twice a day and moved from one pasture to another to fine grass to graze. This was Ruth’s job; herding them on foot. With their last $5.00 they bough a rifle and survived on love and jack-rabbits in the early years. In 1945, they were able to buy some land and moved a two room house onto of the hill, Over the sixty years and many renovations this continued to be their happy home.Their only child Linda Mae was born on December 2, 1945 in Goodland, Kansas.She was true rancher and farmer’s wife working along side her husband. In 1998, due to failing health, they moved to Wray, Colorado to be near their daughter Linda and family. Gus passed away on April 14, 2001. Ruth’s final move on this earth was to Hillcrest Health Care Center in March of 2004, where she resided until her final journey to her real home.She was an avid theology student and was a faithful worshipper of her Lord and Savior. She was baptized for the remission of sin and into salvation in the mid 1940’s when she was baptized in a neighbors frozen stock tank in January. This started her energetic and dedicated life to Christ Jesus and work with the church of Christ. She wanted to tell everyone of the hope she had for salvation and spent countless hour writing articles for local news publications. She taught Sunday school and Vacation Bible school and encouraged personal study groups. Even in the waning day of her life, she welcomed a discussion about God’s word.She is preceded in death by her husband of 65 years, Gus. two sons-in-law, Glenn Schaal, and Bill Schutte. Her parents, Agnes and Peter Allen, her brothers Wayne and wife Laura, Orval and wife Margaret, and Beryl Allen. Ker sister Lula Hyatt and husband Jewel, Her sisters-in-law, Freda Calloway and husband Johnny, Sara Hensley and husband Byron; brothers-in-law Ruben Schreiner, Everett Joy; nieces, Betty Harris, Glenda Silsky; nephews, Ron Hensley, Carl Schreiner, Richard Allen, and Daryl Hyatt.She leaves to celebrate her life and her entrance into her heavenly rest and glory; her daughter, Linda Schutte of Wray, Co.; granddaughter, Bilynn Johnson and husband Jay children CW and Lynnlea, Happy, Texas; Grandson Shane Schutte, wife Gina and children Clayton and Brayden, Covington, Georgia; Sisters-in-law, Geraldine Allen, Kadoka, S. Dakota, Lucille Schreiner, Missouri, and Anna Joy, Renton, Washington; Brother-in-law, Ben Schreiner, Greeley, Colorado; many nieces, nephews, and cousins; Brothers and Sisters in Christ and a host of friends. Funeral services will be celebrated at the Burlington Church of Christ inBurlington, Colorado, on August 15, 2011; with Lee Fisher, Limon, Colorado and Tim Swenson, Benkleman, Nebraska, officiating. Interment was held in the Vona Cemetary, Vona, Colorado. Memorials may be made to the Hospice of the Plains or the Mountain States Children Home. Spellman-Schmidt Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.