Ruth Antoinette McKain

She loved to laugh and be silly. Ruth was born 21st of August 1934 at the Old St. Joseph Hospital and lived in Kansas City most of her life. She went to Southeast High School.

At 17 years old her first job was working for the Southwestern Bell Telephone Company. Through her Aunt, she meet who would later become her husband, Jack Eugene McKain. They wrote to each other during his time in the Navy during the Korean War, and their young love grew. When he would come home on leave, they had many wonderful dates sometimes to the Jazz scene in town. Even though she was underage, she dressed so elegantly, no one was the wiser. They were married June 10, 1955, 6 months after Jack was discharged from the Navy.

They started their life together living in a converted chicken house behind Jacks parents house. Jack over the next few years built their first home. The home was finished in August of 1959 just in time for their first and only child Julie was to be born in October1959.

Ruth was a typical 60’s homemaker. She was a wonderful loving mother, she had play tea parties with her daughter Julie and helped teach her before there were preschools preparing her for her school years. She got back into the work force, working for a charity that funded an orphanage in Israel. She started out in the mailroom, rising to became a correspondence secretary in the office. She retired when her Mother, Genevieve, retired. They had lunches and shopping trips together. Good times those were.

She had a life long passion for sending cards for all occasions with personal notes. She had the most beautiful hand writing. A product of her time.

After Julie married Paul Schleicher, Ruth and Jack lived in many different cities. Wichita, Albuquerque, Montrose. When Jack took a job in Juno Alaska Ruth put her foot down and said she would stay in Montrose Colorado. That was an independent and positive time in her life despite the 2,700 mile distance. During this time she worked for Hallmark Cards. When Jack moved back they moved to Englewood then Westminster Colorado and Alexandria Virginia. They finally moved back to the Kansas City area in 2000 where they were able to watch their two grandchildren grow-up.

She passed surrounded by the love of family and friends. The world is a better place by Ruths being on this earth. She touched many lives in just her small and gentle way. May her memory be a blessing to all that knew her. She was a sweet lady.

Ruth was preceded in death by her father Clarence Frederick Johnson, her beloved mother Genevieve Celia (Hamil) Johnson, her loving husband Jack Eugene McKain in 2018 and recently her dear grandson Jonathan “Jon” Paul Schleicher. Ruth is survived by her daughter Julie Antoinette (McKain) Schleicher, son-in-law Paul Joseph Schleicher, beloved grandchild Jaqueline Antoinette Schleicher, and a dear high school classmate Frances (French) Bryan.