Ruth A. Malich

Our Dear Mother Ruth braided her hair for the last time, put down her knitting needles, cryptograms, and her Bible, and passed away at age 96 1/2, on May 8, 2019, a few days after her arrival at the Visiting Nurse & Hospice Home, Ft. Wayne. Mother will be met by her heavenly father, her husband of 56 years, H.I. (Irv) Malich, and her daughter, Cathy Patrick who passed in 2014. Mother was born in San Benito, Texas in 1922 to Jakob and Elsie (Christensen) Schneider. She was the third of eight children. After high school she worked for the U.S. Army as a stenographer, but decided to leave the heat and humidity of Texas, and eventually chose the heat and humidity of Indiana. She worked in the office at Bowser Co., where she had her eye on a certain handsome gent who worked engineering Bowser gas pumps. She would sashay into the factory frequently to get a better look at him. She told friends that she was going to marry that guy. Rumor has it that she had to use a lasso to get him one night when they were both working late. After about a year of dating at the Shady Nook, they finally took the plunge in 1947. In the ensuing years they were blessed with four children.

Mother was an amazing woman! Inspiring wife, mother and friend. She was an Allen County 4-H leader for 16 years, teaching girls how to sew, knit or do any craft they wanted to learn. For many years she would sew shrouds for still born babies and give them to the hospitals. She knitted little hats for the newborns and sent OD green knitted socks to deployed soldiers. She founded the Holy Cross Lutheran Church Tatting Guild, was a member of the Ft. Wayne knitting Guild, National Knitting Guild, Crochet Club, & Machine Knitters. She volunteered teaching knitting and crochet at RSVP and Memorial Baptist Church for many years and founded the Sewing Guild. Our house was full of boxes full of crafts. Rooms full of boxes full of crafts! Knitting was her favorite and she was a knitter well into her 90s, as well as teaching residents with Parkinson’s at Georgetown Place. Mother attained a certificate as a Master of Tailoring, among others. She was interested in natural healing and fed our dad so many vitamins I’m sure she kept him alive much longer than he had planned. Mother earned a certificate in foot reflexology at age 56, and practiced that up until she moved to Georgetown Place around age 89. And she was an artist: She painted landscapes & during every maternity stay, she would create paper dolls with paper clothes for her girls at home. If you knew mother, you probably have a knitted little green FROG (Fully Rely On God). To fill her empty-nest hours, she worked as a clerk at Belmont 5 & Dime.

A lifelong learner, Mother learned to drive when she was 40. She thought learning to drive caused pregnancy because every time daddy took her out learn, she got pregnant. We had a brown 1939 Pontiac with velour seats. We kids would sit in the back while daddy had her drive circles in our big back yard. Amazingly, no divorce ensued.

Mother is survived by her children, Carol Nichols of Steilacoom, WA, Christine Malich of Chevy Chase, MD, and son, Curtis of Fort Wayne; son-in-law, Dan (Twana) Patrick, and his children, Erin (Brian), Colleen (Brad), and Sean (Sara). She also has six great-grandchildren; sisters, Sophie and Karoline, and brother, Eddie, all of San Benito, Texas. Mother made so many friends along the way, and sadly has outlived many. Special thanks to friend Mr. Wayne Beer, and the Mervar family for their frequent visits. To son-in-law Dan, who has been supporting our family through many difficult times over the past few years. Also the nursing staff on 7th floor at Parkview North, especially nurse Ruth and Dr. Smitha Sowmarpet who advocated for mother. The care provided at the Visiting Nurse & Hospice Home, as always was excellent, during her final days.

Funeral service will be 11:00 a.m. on Monday, May 13, 2019 at D.O. McComb & Sons Funeral Homes - Lakeside Park, 1140 Lake Ave, Fort Wayne with a gathering of family and friends one hour prior. Burial will be in Concordia Gardens Cemetery, Fort Wayne. Memorials may be made to Visiting Nurse.