Ruth Marie Huebsch Goelz

The beloved matriarch of our family left us suddenly on November 22 at the age of 99. She planned to make it to her 100th birthday but the universe had other plans. She passed quietly after a tragic fall. She was surrounded by love and received exceptional hospice care during her final days in the HopeWest Care Center.

Ruth was born in Chicago, Illinois on May 3, 1925 to Elsie and Adolph Huebsch. Ruth had two older siblings, Helen and Adolph (“Dutch”). Their mother, Elsie, died when Ruth was just a year old. Shortly thereafter, Adolph placed Helen and Dutch in the Masonic Children’s Home, an orphanage in La Grange, IL. Ruth went to live with her maternal grandparents, Robert and Marie Soelter, until she turned three years old, at which time, she joined her brother and sister in the Home. Ruth loved living there. It was during the Great Depression and her life in the orphanage was better than most children had at that time. She had fond memories of holidays, parties, sporting events, parades, and other activities.

Ruth left the orphanage during her high school years to return to live with Adolph and his second wife, Mabel. She later moved into an apartment with a friend and worked as a cub reporter for a newspaper. She met William (“Billy”) Goelz shortly thereafter and they married in April 1946 in El Paso, Texas. Billy served in the Army during WWII and made his living as a professional wrestler. They had five children: Edward, who was killed in Vietnam; Georgia Goelz of Grand Junction, CO; Ginger Mitchell (William) also of Grand Junction; James Goelz (Kim) of Lake Villa, IL; and Gloria Childs of Tucson, AZ. Ruth and Billy initially lived in Fox Lake, IL, then moved to a large house in Antioch, IL overlooking the lake. Ruth spent several years as a homemaker, later taking a job as waitress at George Diamond’s Steak House. Ruth and Billy divorced in 1970, and Billy died in 2002.

Ruth always wanted to live in California, after visiting her father who moved there in the mid-1960’s. She realized her dream when she moved to Laguna Woods, CA in 1995. She enjoyed playing Scrabble, working puzzles, volunteering, reading, doing a bit of traveling, and visiting her daughter Ginger who lived nearby. She lived in California until November 2017, when she moved to Solstice, an independent living facility in Grand Junction at the age of 92 to be closer to her daughter Ginger and to receive a higher level of care. Georgia moved from Florida to Grand Junction in 2019 and she and Ginger spent a lot of time with Ruth going out to lunch, baking, playing Mexican Train, and drinking cosmopolitans. Ruth’s mind remained sharp to the very end.

In addition to her four living children, Ruth leaves behind eight grandchildren, ten great grandchildren, and two great-great grandchildren. She is predeceased by her sister and brother, son Eddie, and granddaughter Natalie Mitchell.

No services are planned at this time. In lieu of celebrating Ruth’s 100th birthday on May 3, 2025, family will gather to celebrate her life. She is greatly missed and will live on in our hearts forever.

Donations can be made in Ruth’s memory to HopeWest in Grand Junction.