On February 1st, 2021, at the age of 94, Ruth Johansen Raws passed from her earthly life to a life in Heaven with her Savior. She was born in 1926 in Chicago, IL, the 6th child of Thora and Ole Johansen. Thora and Ole came to Chicago to live after leaving their homeland of Norway; Ruth was always very proud of her Norwegian heritage. Ruth was raised in the Norwegian Salvation Army ministry.
Ruth attended school in Chicago and finished two years at Wheaton College, where she met her future husband William Raws. They were married June 7th, 1947, and moved to Dallas, TX, where Bill attended Dallas Theological Seminary. After graduation, they moved to America’s Keswick where Bill, with Ruth’s support and help, directed America’s Keswick Bible Conference and Colony of Mercy for over 50 years. Ruth was well known for her love of crafts, her teaching water aerobics at the Keswick pool, her homemade root beer and blueberry pie, and her incomparable chicken barbecues each week during the summer conference season. She was involved in many aspects of the Keswick ministry over the years and always had a deep passion to see the men of the Colony of Mercy set free from bondage to alcohol and drugs.
Ruth, or the Queen Mum as she was affectionately called in later years, was preceded in death by her husband of 60 years and a child, Christopher.
Ruth was lovingly cared for in her later years by the wonderful staff of The Pines Lifecare Center in Whiting.
Ruth will be missed by her 4 daughters: Janice (Bob) Dyer, Judee (Gary) Dickinson, Cherri (Joe) Freeman, and Karen (Robby) Richardson; her grandchildren Amanda (Rob) Serocke, Danielle Dyer, Brent (Sarah) Dickinson, Travis (Shari) Dickinson, Jeremy (Sarah) Dickinson, Melia Dickinson, Sara Mackey, Christopher Mackey, Gloria (Kyle) Engdahl, Susy (Trevor) Smith, Ali (Kevin) Pawlowski, Eric (Kathy) Richardson, Amy (Ben) Carnall, and Jenny Richardson. She was also blessed with 17 great-grand children: Amos and Blaise Dickinson, Kaelia, Delaney, Emory, and Kade Dickinson, Chloe, Ian, and Quinn Dickinson, Bobby and Brent Richardson, Ellie, Will, and Finn Carnall, Logan Lindgren and Aiden Mackey, and Anaya and Ranya Serocke.
There will be a graveside service at America’s Keswick on Saturday, Feb 6, 2021. A Celebration of Life will be held at America’s Keswick in June, with details to be announced.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the following:
•America’s Keswick Colony of Mercy, 601 Rt 530, Whiting, NJ 08759
•Olive Branch MInistry (for widows and orphans in Africa), 445 Walnut St, Brighton, CO 80601
•Love Them To Life (ministry to families with loved ones in addiction), 31A Yorktowne Pkwy, Whiting, NJ 08759
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