Ruthie and I were best friends in the 1960's and early 70's. I'm not sure how we met, but we spent a whole lot of time together and had some great adventures. She was two years younger than me, but we liked the same things - mostly boys! We met two farm boys from Stockton Iowa at the Mississippi Valley Fair one year. They were so CUTE!  We dated them for while, but they must have been busy farming because nothing ever came of it. I was supposed to be in her wedding to (Jeff??)Trego, and her mom Ila was making the bride's maid dresses. By that time, I was married and living in Virginia. When I turned up pregnant, I had to back out.  I didn't want to be a VERY pregnant bride's maid! After I moved back to Iowa, her mom Ila babysat my little girl.  Ila would say to all the little kids in her house "shoo chickens" to herd them from the kitchen to the living room.  Later in life we lost touch, but one day I ran into her at Byron Hills Golf Course. Turns out, we both loved playing golf.  I will miss her!

Condolences to all family and friends. Ruth Ann and I were in the same class and also lived within a block of each other.  I had the chance to meet her again in November 2024 and we had some good laughs recalling the past as well as what has happened in our lives since.    Both of us attended BHS Bulldog football games and had a great time with other classmates.  Ruth Ann was very frank and always spoke her mind which I found very refreshing.
I am thankful for the short time that we reconnected.
Kent (Butch) Smart

I will remember all the shampoo and conditioning treatments at the salon and  after, at my house. Girl.... the stories we've shared, and the laughs we've had. My favorite, 1994(ish) Geneseo's Victorian Walk, where I had a window of a woman(YOU) getting ready for her wedding. I did your hair in an old fashioned updo, you in your wedding dress. My little girls were in the window with us. We laughed so much. You bought old fashioned boots for the event. Put Baileys in our hot chocolate!! Then after a while you took off to the streets to flirt with St. Nicholas!! You will be truly missed my friend. My thoughts and prayers go out to the family and friends.

My condolences to RuthAnn's children and grandchildren; permanently losing a parent or grandparent is always difficult.  

I am RuthAnn's cousin, Marcia McKown Hummel.  She and my sister Mardelle were part of our Grandma McKown's "6 granddaughters born in one year." (The 4 of us born in 1947 took a way back seat when those little misses got bigger!)  We often lived near RuthAnn, and indeed lived with them on 3 separate occasions, when we returned from our attempts to live in  Washington state.  The last time, we arrived on RuthAnn's 11th birthday, right in the middle of her birthday party!  What fun!  Aunt Ila always had a lot of fun activities for those parties.  

After grocery shopping, my folks would often go to Aunt Ila and Uncle Joe's to play cards and we kids would play board games.  RuthAnn had more board games than the rest of us did, and boy, could she win at them!  She also tried to teach me to swim, to roller skate, and to twirl a baton.  Alas, the only thing I could do as well as or better than her was riding a bike!  

Except for the 2 years that we were in Washington as kids, our family spent every Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's with RuthAnn's family.  Lots of Easters and 4th of Julys too!  And Labor Days because we all had to go to our Grandma McKown's birthday party in Nebraska that weekend.  

After I graduated from High School, I was away at college for nearly 8 years.  By the time I lived in Bettendorf again, she had moved to Rockford, IL so we rarely saw each other.  

In the past 20 years we've grown closer again, with phone calls, messages, and overnighters.  I shall always miss her and her spunk.

OBITUARY

RuthAnn Mertl

February 22, 1949 – February 3, 2026

The Runge Mortuary & Crematory

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