(Wissenburg) Sittler. Ruthelen passed away on November 28, 2020 in Lincoln, Nebraska.
Ruthelen was a lifelong educator and community advocate with an unmatched drive in her
profession, her community service and her personal life where she took every opportunity to
enrich herself and all those that knew her.
Ruthelen’s career as an accomplished educator began in a one room school house just down
the road from the family farm near Martell where while still a teenager she taught her younger
brother Lyle and other students from the surrounding farms. After graduating from Doane
College she began her career in Gering, Nebraska before returning to Lincoln. She would spend
more than 40 years in Lincoln Public Schools serving as a teacher at Saratoga Elementary,
Assistant Principal at Pershing Elementary and then as principal at Hawthorne, Ruth Hill and
Randolph Elementary schools. Ruthelen loved her profession and all of the students she had in
her schools. In fact towards the end of her life when many other memories were clouded she
could still recognize countless former students’ and colleagues’ names and even a note or two
about them.
Ruthelen so enjoyed selflessly sharing her many talents and energy with so many for the
betterment of her community. She was active in more than twenty community and professional
organizations and volunteered thousands of hours at many community events, hospitals, and
organizations. She also served as a local host for University of Nebraska-Lincoln International
students.
Ruthelen loved her family and never missed a school performance, cattle show or sporting
event of her nieces, great nephews and great niece. She also was an avid traveler having
visited 6 of 7 continents. She loved exploring and learning about new places and took every
opportunity to bring those experiences to her family and her many friends.
Ruthelen loved music, sports, the arts, flower gardening, photography and was occasionally
known to eat dessert first. She loved to laugh and her sharp wit would also ensure that those
around her would join in on the laughs. The family is thankful we have so many of those laughs
to accompany all of the amazing memories Ruthelen leaves us with.
Ruthelen is survived by her sister-in-law Alice Sittler; three nieces, Kristen (Todd) Eggerling,
Jana Sittler, and Meghan Sittler (Molly Murphy); three great nephews and one great niece,
Dylan & Levi Hafer and Barrett & Lauren Eggerling. Ruthelen is preceded in death by her
parents and her brother Lyle.
Visitation will be at Lincoln Memorial Funeral Home on Monday, December 7 from 4:00-6:00
p.m. A memorial service will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday, December 8th at First Plymouth
Congregational Church. Interment to follow at Lincoln Memorial Park. Memorials in lieu of
flowers can be made to the family for future designation to help support educational
opportunities for local students.
Please join us via livestream at the following link
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