Ruth Ellen (Rogers) Vorhes Shaffer, 88, of Ankeny, Iowa passed away at home Friday, January 22, 2021 surrounded by family. She was at peace. Ruth was born on July 20, 1932 near Greene, Iowa to Alfred “Burr” and Iva (Knapp) Rogers. She grew up on a farm near Greene. It was in Greene that Ruth met her first husband, Dean “Pete” Vorhes. The two moved to Cedar Rapids in 1964. She began working at Kraus Equipment Company (now Highway Equipment Company) in 1964, where she worked for over 30 years until retiring in the late 90’s. Her husband Dean passed away in 1995.
After retiring, Ruth went to work part-time for Gordon Sevig Trucking Company (GSTC) in Walford, Iowa. In 2002, she married Robert “Bob” Shaffer. He passed away in 2012. Ruth moved to Ankeny in 2015 to be closer to family. Ruth was a caring woman. She liked to stay busy working and taking care of her family. They were her priority. She loved to garden and had a pontoon boat on Lake Thunderhead that she liked to fish off of. In her free time she liked playing on bowling leagues. She was an avid bowler with many trophies.
Ruth was preceded in death by her parents; both husbands; a brother, Louis Rogers and his wife Burdette; and a sister, Lorraine Kellner and her husband John. Left to cherish her memory are a son, Brian (Janis) Vorhes of Alleman; a daughter, Julie Vorhes (Karl Hufnagel) of Seattle, Washington; and a grandson, Nicholas Hufnagel of Seattle, Washington.
Interment will take place on Wednesday, January 27th at 1:30pm at Westside Cemetery in Marble Rock, Iowa. Memorials may be directed to the family.
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