Juliana P. Rues, 87, of Fulton, Missouri passed away on March 7, 2015.
Funeral services will be at 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday, March 11, 2015 at St. Peter Catholic Church in Fulton. Burial will follow at Mt. Olivet Cemetery in Raytown, Missouri.
Eighty-seven years ago Juliana Philomina was born in Paul and Anna
Mick’s farm house. The home, sheltered in a shallow draw from the winds that
swept the fields and prairie, sat several miles south of Tipton in the Blue Hills of
Mitchell County, Kansas. This place would forever be both a touchstone and a
talisman for Julie. Wherever she went, Julie carried with her a warmhearted
trust and affection for her family’s farm and town.
Julie was the oldest child for an older sister, Delores, died at the age of
two after she was kicked by a farm horse. As was the custom for the oldest
girl, Julie looked after her brothers and sisters: Raymond, Artie, Stella, and
Stanley. She could be stern but she deeply cared about them. All her life she
worried about their happiness. Maybe this is how she gained her regal poise.
On her country farm, Julie loved the singing western meadowlarks, the
scent of earth’s growing plants, the running free barefoot, the sight of
thunderstorms along the horizon, the rustling of the cottonwood trees and the
chorus of insects at night. Yet, Julie was a realist about farm life. Hauling
firewood and water into the house was one of her daily chores. No matter the
weather, cows and hens and pigs had to be attended to morn and eve. Eggs
had to be gathered, bread had to be baked, chickens had to be butchered daily.
The garden had to be protected from the incessant, drying Kansas wind.
Produce had to be preserved for the oncoming blustery winter. Constantly
lurking in the background of the Mick family’s daily lives was the concern for
good weather for the cash crops. Such a life hardly seems real to us of today
having been given a reprieve from such constraints of Nature.
Graduating from St. Boniface High School, Julie wanted to escape from
the tyranny of the seasons. She wanted a heated bedroom, bright electric lights
instead of the smoky kerosene lamps, hot water for baths with water that did
not need to be heated on the wood stove, white table cloths instead of oil cloth.
Juliana wanted to hear the new music, see the current movies, discover foods
such as shrimp, caesar salads, avocados. She wanted to go to restaurants and
night clubs. Thus with her hope and her family saddened, Julie left her beloved
Tipton for Kansas City.
Julie found a job at the Federal Reserve Bank. She handled incoming cash
deposits from local banks through out the Midwest making sure ledgers and
cash balanced, correcting any discrepancies and gaining praise for her ability to
spot counterfeit money. She made friends. Several remained friends
throughout her life, with Harriet being her very best friend. Though reserved all
her life, Julie liked to laugh and she truly liked others.
It was in Kansas City that Julie met and married Carl Lester Rues. Their
marriage lasted sixty-seven years. Kansas City would be the place to raise a
family. After marrying, Julie continued to work at the Federal Reserve till
Michael Paul and then Mark Jeffery were born. Even though over the years Julie
did occasional work outside the home, she was a dedicated housewife. Her
home was always clean; and, it was almost always neat. She decorated her
home with her crafts. She enjoyed trying new recipes. Her farm cooking such
as fried chicken and fruit pies delighted her family and friends. She took pride
in good tasting, well rounded meals with two vegetables, fruit, and no empty
calories. Admittedly wholesome food did sometimes disappoint her children.
Yet, that was the kind of mother she was, looking out for what was truly best
for them. And she tried to do this in all areas of life for her children.
Julie never forced her deeply held views and feelings on anyone not even
her children. Yet, she always tried to keep her children pointed in the right
direction: their own right direction. Though Julie could be quiet, her children
always knew she cared deeply about them.
Julie enjoyed the beautiful solitude in nature. She marveled at the
wildflowers. She listen to the birds. She could tell you the names of many a
flower and bird. The Rocky Mountains were a favorite vacation. Julie and Carl
had a shoreline cabin on a rocky ridge on Lake of the Ozarks. The cabin was
miles away from the noisy, crowded, partying and shopping Lake venue. This
retreat was comfortable, yet in the woods. Julie was never bored being in the
natural world. Julie was a gentle soul.
After the boys left home Julie and Carl moved to five acres outside of
Harrisonville, Missouri, a rural community south of Kansas City. Julie took pride
in large flower gardens while Carl enjoyed working in the vegetable garden.
Both enjoyed cooking and having family get togethers at their home. Many
amiable an Easter, Fourth of July, Thanksgiving, Christmas was spent there with
relatives and friends. At this time, traveling became a possibility. Julie always
liked to look beyond her own backyard. Whether a cruise amid the Caribbean
Islands, a long boat voyage to Hawaii, eating in a London Pub, looking at
paintings in the Louvre, tasting wines in the French countryside, strolling
around the Vatican, or quaffing beer at long communal tables in Munich, Julie
was for it.
Then, as is happening all around us too often, Julie disappeared into the
haze of dementia. Till her death she kept a happy cheerfulness. She will be
much missed. Many would just like to talk to her again
online condolences may be sent to www.debofuneralhome.com
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