Ruth Lydia Watson

A funeral service for Ruth Lydia (Youngwirth) Watson, age 89, of Newark, will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Friday, February 14, at St. Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran Church, 67 North Fifth Street, Newark, with the Rev. William J. Rauch officiating. Burial will take place in Elmlawn Cemetery, Buffalo, New York.

Ruth was born October 3, 1924 in Buffalo, New York to the late John Adam and Lydia (Weiss) Youngwirth. She passed away on Sunday, February 9, 2014 at The Chapel Grove Inn in Heath.

Ruth was a 1942 graduate of South Park High School and in 1946 received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Education from Buffalo State University, where she met her husband, Bob, in an American Literature class. Ruth and Bob were married on June 30, 1949.

Ruth taught 4th and 5th grades for five years at Alexander Central School in Genessee County, New York and taught 6th grade at Amherst-18 for 3 years. During that time she pursued a Master of Science degree in Library Science, which she received in 1955 from the University at Albany-SUNY. She was then employed at the Buffalo and Erie County Public Library where she was instrumental in setting up the children’s collection and two suburban branches. Ruth and her husband, Bob, moved to Newark in 1969 as he had accepted a position as Assistant Director of the Library at Denison University.

Ruth was a very active and faithful member of St. Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran Church in Newark and for many, many years was the Sacristan, assistant organist and director of the Kinderchor. She sang in the church choir for over 40 years and was in the bell choir for 25 years. A member of the Women of the ELCA, Ruth was involved with the Alice Circle.

She is survived by her husband of 64 years, Robert J. Watson; a niece, Ruth Lynn Youngwirth of Leesburg, VA; and many friends at St. Paul’s.

In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her brother, William Youngwirth; and by a nephew, John Youngwirth.

Friends may call from 4-7 p.m. on Thursday, February 13, at Criss-Schoedinger Funeral Home, 179 Granville Street, Newark.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Organ Fund at St. Paul’s Ev. Lutheran Church.

Please visit www.CrissSchoedinger.com to share a special memory about Ruth or to sign an online guest book.