Ruth Anderson
Ruth Louise Menn Anderson, born March 7, 1926, to Martha Poch Menn and Hubert L. Menn Sr. in Yorktown, Texas, passed away on Sept. 20, 2019 in Bellaire, Texas, at age 93.
She was preceded in death by her beloved husband of 63 years, James Weldon “Jack” Anderson; her parents; and three of her siblings, Hubert L. Menn, Jr.; Marian Rose Menn Knight; and Joseph Karl Menn.
She is survived by her sister Martha Lamour Menn Lindemann; five children, Catherine Pett and husband Richard, June Gonzales and husband David, Betty Jones and husband Steven, James “Jim” Anderson and wife Dawn and Helen Watson and husband Carl; 11 grandchildren, Jesse Gonzales and wife Urvi, Courtney Donilon and husband Andrew, Elizabeth Jenson and husband James, Matthew Jones, Austin Pett and wife Corrie, Eva Fiester and husband Matthew, Julia Jones and fiancé Michael Belo, Joseph Anderson, Collin Watson and fiancée Kahla Nelson, Susanna Anderson and Evan Watson; six great-grandchildren, Riya Gonzales, Maya Gonzales, Tate Fiester, Jordan Jenson, Wyatt Fiester, Mason Donilon and baby girl Pett expected; and nine nieces and 10 nephews and their families.
Ruth graduated from Yorktown High School (Texas); Texas Lutheran College (now University in Seguin) and University of Texas (Austin). She worked as a teacher until marrying Jack in 1948.
She followed him in his assignment to California as a U.S. Marine, and then accompanied him in his career at Exxon with moves to Wharton; Bellaire; Tripoli, Libya; Houston; Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; and back to Houston for eventual retirement; with trips to enjoy the family land (T.K. Rea Ranch in Pottsville and the Menn Cottage in Yorktown) and lastly following him in their final years to the Gardens of Bellaire in Bellaire.
Ruth grew up in her Christian faith at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Yorktown, with her mother playing the organ and her grandfather preaching. She lived her faith through Bible study and Women of the Church ministries at Faith Lutheran Church, Bellaire, Union Church of Tripoli, St. Andrew’s Church in Kuala Lumpur and back to Faith Lutheran in Bellaire. Jack and Ruth were steadfast in raising their children in the Christian faith and leaving a legacy of giving through scholarship funding at Texas Lutheran University and estate planning to support various ministries through the Lutheran Foundation of the Southwest.
In her daily life, Ruth’s priority was her husband and her five children, meeting each one’s needs with persistent attention, no matter where in the world the family was planted. In any spare time, she could be found sewing, quilting, reading or playing bridge or dominoes. Holding and loving her grandchildren and then her great-grandchildren became her greatest joy later in life.
Ruth will always be remembered as a loving, smart, prayerful and devoted daughter, wife, sister, mother, aunt and friend.
The funeral service was held Thursday, Sept. 26, at Faith Lutheran Church in Bellaire.
Memorial donations may be made to Faith House at Faith Lutheran Church, the Tilden and Clara Rea Anderson Scholarship Fund at Texas Lutheran University or Pottsville Volunteer Fire Department.
