She was born February 7, 1930 in Clarksville, a daughter of the late John and Mary Pearl Dayton Dukate.
Ruth was a 1947 graduate of Jefferson High School. She was a homemaker and lived in Greene County with most all of her life in Dry Tavern.
Ruth was a member of the First Christian Church of Carmichaels and the Carmichaels Senior Citizens Center.
On September 22, 1948 she married Fred B. McDowell, who died April 23, 1996.
Surviving are two sons, Fred (Elaine) McDowell of Leesburg, FL, with whom she had made her home, and Stephen E. (Josie) McDowell of Shippensburg, PA and grand-children, Lisa McDowell Brudnicki, Kelly Good and Sean McDowell; five great grandchildren, Johnathan, Taryn, Stephen, Aiden and Konnar.
Deceased is a grandson, Brian McDowell; a sister, Evelyn Miller; four brothers, James Dukate, John Dukate, Earl Dukate, and Ralph Dukate.
In following the CDC guidelines of wearing face masks and social distancing the family will receive friends from 2:00 to 4:00 pm and 6:00 to 8:00 pm on Wednesday January 27, 2021, in the Behm Funeral Home, 1477 Jefferson Rd., Jefferson, PA 15344, Gregory P. Rohanna, supervisor, where funeral services will be held on Thursday, January 28, 2021 at 11:00 am, with the Rev. Reagan Fike Rager officiating. Interment will follow in Jefferson Cemetery, Jefferson. Condolences may be expressed online at www.behm-funeralhomes.com.
The family requests in lieu of flowers donations be made in Ruth’s name to Cornerstone Hospice, The Foundation Facility, 2445 Lane Park Rd., Tavares, FL 32778 (https://cornerstonehospice.org/the-foundation/) or your local Food Bank, which in this time of Covid-19 pandemic there is great need.
