Obituary for Ruth Ailene Bowlin (Brune)
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Ruth Ailene Bowlin, 95, of Olathe, KS passed away Nov. 20, 2018 in Olathe, KS. Visitation 5:00 to 7:00 pm Mon., Nov. 26, 2018 at Bruce Funeral Home, Gardner, KS (913) 856-7111. Funeral service will be held 11:00 am Tues., Nov. 27, 2018 at De Soto United Methodist Church, 8760 Kill Creek Rd. De Soto, KS 66018. Burial follows at Memorial Park Cemetery, Lawrence, KS. Memorial contributions may be made to the Flower Fund of De Soto United Methodist Church. Condolences may be left at www.brucefuneralhome.com
Ruth was born Aug. 5, 1923 in rural Lawrence, KS to Gustav “Gus” and Doris (Rothwell) Brune. She graduated from Lawrence public schools and studied chemistry at the University of Kansas. During World War II, Ruth worked as a chemist at the Sunflower Army Ammunition Plant in De Soto, KS and later ran their chemistry lab. She married Ross Sherwood, Jr. in 1944 and while her husband was stationed with the Army Air Force in Texas, Ruth ran a commercial shrimp fishing boat. Ross and Ruth had five children. Ross died in 1969. In 1972, Ruth married Emmett Bowlin. He died in 1982. Ruth was a member of De Soto United Methodist Church and was instrumental in spearheading the construction of the church’s new building. She was a member of the choir for many years. Ruth was also a ham radio operator with call letters W0NZD.
Ruth was an accomplished horsewoman and loved to travel, visiting the Great Wall of China, Egypt and the Holy Land and the Galapagos Islands, among many other places. Most of all, she enjoyed many road trips with her husband Emmett, traveling around the region on what they called the “blue highways,” attending auctions, buying, repairing and reselling antiques and later enjoyed many road trips with family. Ruth will be dearly missed by family and friends.
She was preceded in death by her parents; husbands, Ross and Emmett; brothers: Danny and Harold; sister, Doris Eugenia Jones and daughter, Susan Sherwood. Ruth is survived by her daughter, Charlotte Grimshaw and husband Bill, Olathe, KS; sons, Ross Sherwood, De Soto, KS, Russell Sherwood, Linn County, KS, Greg Sherwood and wife Jennifer, Olathe, KS; granddaughter, Lynn Grimshaw Maitz and great-grandson William Antonio “Beau” Maitz, both of St. Louis, MO and granddaughter, Lois Grimshaw, Olathe, KS.
“Whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge; thy people shall be my people and thy God my God.”