Ruth was born on July 10, 1928 in Creighton, Missouri to August and Bertha Polzin (Lebeck). She graduated from Creighton High School and often reminisced of her days playing on the girls basketball team. Ruth learned professional seamstress skills sewing shirts during WW II in a factory in Holden, Missouri. In 1947 Ruth married the love of her life, Charles Raymond Conrad on August 30, 1947. They shared 69 years of life together, packed full of love and countless treasured memories in Kansas City, raising three sons. They thoroughly enjoyed watching their sons play baseball and later attending their grandchildren’s ball games, dance, and piano recitals over the years. Ruth loved being a wife, homemaker, mother and seamstress. Cooking was her passion and seeing her family gathered and enjoying her meals was something she never tired of, especially holiday meals, her famous butterscotch pies, “The White Cake”, and frying fish caught at their favorite fishing spot, Roaring River State Park. She and Raymond loved nothing more than introducing their grandchildren to trout fishing at Roaring River and watching them reel in their limit for the day. Sports were a big part of her life. Not only did they both enjoy Little League games, they were of course huge fans of the Royals and Chiefs. They volunteered at concessions at the stadiums, earning funds for the Calvary Lutheran Church and schools in Kansas City. She loved to tell of cooking hotdogs and brats in hot summers and the cold winters. Ruth loved playing cards, especially Pitch, and was always ready to play. When her vision began to fail the grandkids found giant playing cards online so she could see them better, of course holding them was a rather comical sight. She loved it, though, and never turned down an offer to play. Ruth was very active in her church, singing in choirs and attending services faithfully. She taught Sunday School and VBS for many years and enjoyed teaching the little ones. She loved her savior Jesus and found great joy in sharing her faith with her family. She had devotions daily and when she could no longer see to read, Dave would read to her from Portals of Prayer. She often reflected fondly on her confirmation class and how she and one other young lady were the only ones in her class at the Lutheran Church in Creighton. It was there that she developed an even greater appreciation for verses and a stronger devotion towards being a Lutheran. This no doubt accounted for her deep love, knowledge and dedication to being a Christian.
Ruth was preceded in death by her parents, husband Charles Raymond Conrad, her son Charles Lee Conrad, daughter-in-law Jeanie Conrad, her sister Esther, brother Oscar, triplet brothers Carl W. Polzin, Paul L. Polzin, and Walter A. Polzin, foster brother Earl Crouse, as well as several nieces and nephews. Ruth is survived by her sons Michael and David (Heidi), daughter-in-law Mary Beth Conrad, grandchildren Christen Conrad, Lori Turnbull (Joshua), Eric Conrad (Michelle), Ryan Conrad (Debora), twins Rachel Conrad and Robin Conrad, as well as great granddaughters Cora Lee and Hazel Lynn Conrad and Debora’s younger sister Allisson
