Squibb, Ruth Heerema 1918-2012

SQUIBB, HEEREMA, VANDER BEEK, CONAWAY, LODWIG, YALIN, VAN MAANEN, FRANJE, HARTSON, VAN HOUWELING, MYERS, KALDENBERG, HALTERMAN, BEILEMA, VANDER PLOEG, DILLAVOU

Posted By: Volunteer Transcriber
Date: 4/1/2025 at 09:57:38

Ruth Squibb
December 31, 1918 - January 15, 2012
Pella, IA

Ruth Squibb Obituary
Ruth Heerema was born on December 31, 1918, in a small house in Pella, Iowa. Her parents, Pieter and Jeneka (Vander Beek) Heerema had six children, Ruth being the third from the oldest.

Ruth's education began at Lincoln School in Pella where she attended Kindergarten through 6th grade. Jr. High was on an upper level at old Webster School and she graduated from Pella High School in the spring of 1936. During her senior year in high school she was honored for being an attendant to Pella's First Tulip Queen, Lenora Gaass. Sundays were a special treat to Ruth while growing up. She went to church with her Mother in the mornings and with her Dad in the evenings. Ruth was baptized at the First Reformed Church and made profession of her faith at the age of 14 years.

In the fall of 1936 Ruth started dating a boy by the name of Darwin G. Squibb. They met at a skating party in the Central College gym. Ruth and Squibb, as he was known, both attended Central College and Ruth graduated in 1938 with 2 years of Normal Training. She taught school for two years in Garden Grove, Iowa and then came back to Pella and worked as a cashier at the J.C. Penney Store. After four years of dating, Ruth and Squibb were married on Christmas Day, December 25, 1940, at the home of her parents.

Squibb worked at the Rolscreen Company and was drafted into the military service during World War II. He was inducted into active duty after their first child, Dennis Duane, was born on March 26, 1943, so Ruth moved to Hub City, California to be with him. In April, 1945, Ruth was summoned back to Pella to be with her Mother, Jeneke Heerema, who was dying of cancer. In July, 1946, she and Squibb returned to California where they resided until he was discharged. After coming back to Pella they had two more beautiful children, David Bruce on September 8, 1947 and Janice Ruth on November 22, 1953. Squibb worked as a meat cutter for De Winter Meat Market and Van's Grocery. Later he went into business with her brother, Fred Heerema, and Virgil Vander Linden at the Super Valu Grocery Store, while Ruth returned to teaching.

Ruth and Squibb had a good married life together and had many good times camping together as a family and as a couple. Just when they had raised their family and were ready to enjoy some traveling, Squibb had a massive heart attack at the age of 56 years and passed away on July 8, 1974. Following his death, Ruth finished her education with night school and summer school and taught Remedial reading for 11 years at Webster and Lincoln Schools in Pella. After retiring Ruth traveled and enjoyed visiting her sons and their families. She loved spending time with her daughter and family and any chance she had to be with her granddaughters to read and play games with, she took time for them. Any morning you would stop to see Ruth; she would be working on the Jumble in the Des Moines Register. Ruth also had a love of knitting and would have a pair of knitting needles in her hands working on dishcloths, hangers and especially making sweaters for Guideposts for children all over the world. She lost track after a 100.

Ruth continued to live in the home they had built at 907 Columbus Street until moving into a condo. She later resided at Fair Haven East and the Hilltop Manor and presently the Long Term Care Unit at the Pella Regional Health Center. She was married to her husband whom she dearly loved for 33½ years and had been a widow for 37½ years.

On Sunday afternoon, January 15, 2012, she passed away peacefully with her daughter and her family at her side at the Hospice of Pella Comfort House in Pella having just observed her 93rd birthday. Her three children and their spouses, 6 grandchildren and 9 great-grandchildren have been very special to her and have given her the love that has kept her going. They and their families are:

Dennis and Ann (Conaway) Squibb of Grand Junction, Colorado
Donna Squibb of Denver, Colorado
Wendi and Kern Lodwig of Lakewood, Colorado
Jacob, Elijah Lodwig
Shane and Michelle Squibb of Colorado Springs, Colorado
Madison, Justin Squibb

David and Janice (Yalin) Squibb of Florence, South Carolina
Margeaux Squibb
Dawson Squibb

Janice and Larry Van Maanen of Leighton, Iowa
Mandy and Nate Franje of Clive, Iowa
Sean Franje
Sarah and Jeremy Hartson of Leighton, Iowa
Taylor, Jacob, Hope and Judah Hartson
Ruth was the last surviving member of her original family and leaves just one sister-in-law; Elva May (Van Houweling) Heerema of Pella. She was preceded in death by her husband, Darwin G. Squibb; her parents, Jeneke and Pieter Heerema and her step-mother, Dena (Pieter) Heerema; her parents-in-law, William and Mary (Meyers) Squibb; all her brothers and sister and their spouses: Martin Heerema, Robert and Viola (Kaldenberg) Heerema, Fred and Pauline (Halterman) Heerema, Ralph and Frances (Beilema) Heerema, Bernice and Charles Vander Ploeg; and a sister-in-law and brother-in-law, Bernice (Squibb) and Dwayne Dillavou. Ruth thanks God for the family, relatives and friends he had placed in her life. She loved God, her church and the beauty of God's creation.

“I have learned to forget my troubles, remember my blessings and strengthen my faith.”

Funeral services will be held
Wednesday, January 18, 2012, at 1:00 p.m.
First Reformed Church, Pella, Iowa
Committal services will precede the service on Wednesday at the Oakwood Cemetery in Pella, Iowa.

Visitation will begin Tuesday afternoon at Van Dyk-Duven Funeral Home where the family will be present Tuesday from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m.

For those desiring, memorials may be given for Hospice of Pella, Iowa
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Final Resting Place
Oakwood Cemetery
1301 Columbus St.
Pella, IA
Tribute Wall ~ The Des Moines (IA) Register 17 Jan 2012.