- Date Of Birth: January 24, 1915
- Date Of Death: July 19, 2012
- State: Iowa
Ruth Grether, age 97, of Algona and formerly of Manchester, died on Thursday July 19, 2012 at the Algona Manor Care Center. Ruth Van de Waa Grether was born on January 24, 1915, in Orange City, Iowa the daughter of H.J. and Cornelia (Kitty) Klein Van de Waa. Ruth was educated in the Orange City area and graduated from both the Iowa State Teacher’s College (UNI) and Northwestern College of Orange City. On June 11, 1938, Ruth was united in marriage to Leo Hans Grether in Orange City, Iowa. They lived in Cincinnati, Ohio; Volga, Elgin, Manchester, and Boone, IA and retired back to Manchester. She moved to the Algona Manor in 2009. Ruth was a former elementary educator who loved to engage young minds. She will be remembered for her love of music and beautiful voice, gifts she shared in common with her husband. She and Leo were also passionate Hawkeye fans, attending virtually every home football game for over forty years. The only missed game that can be recalled was when Jon & Cheryl scheduled their wedding on a home game Saturday (Yes, they heard about that for years). Ruth was the epitome of a classy lady, to her last breath. Ruth was a member of the Manchester United Methodist Church Women, Retired Teacher’s Association, and P.E.O. Chapter AS of Manchester. Survivors include her three children, Dennis Grether (Catherine Kelly) of New Buffalo, Michigan; David (Karla) Grether of Lawrence, Kansas and Jonathan (Cheryl) Grether of Algona, Iowa; four grandchildren, Brandon Grether of Brookfield, Wisconsin, Stacey Grether of Highlands Ranch, Colorado, Julie and Chris Grether of Algona, Iowa; two great-grandchildren, Katelyn Grether-Kurtic and Logan Kurtic of Highlands Ranch Colorado; and a sister-in-law, Charlotte Van de Waa of Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Ruth was preceded in death by her husband Leo Grether on May 25, 1993; her daughter Lee Anne Grether; her parents; and her brother Carl Van de Waa.
