Ruth Lucille Piltz

Ruth Lucille Piltz, age 87, passed away January 11th, 2013. A celebration of her life will be held on Tuesday, 01/15/2013, 3:00 PM at Olinger Crown Hill Chapel of Peace, 7777 West 29th Avenue, Wheat Ridge, Colorado 80033.

It is hard to put into a few pages the lifetime of an individual who had an impact on many lives, for Ruth was foremost a homemaker. She was very proud of the fact that she raised eleven children, they all graduated and none were in jail! I think for any generation, that was a major achievement.

She herself did not have the opportunity to finish high school. She left home at the age of 16 to come to Denver to help her cousin Mae Garner with her children. But I am getting ahead of myself….

Ruth Lucille Beakey was born to Arthur Louis Beakey and Isabella Beatrice Schwager in Great Bend Kansas on April 30th 1925. She had 3 older siblings: Marion Frances, Kenneth Arthur and Mary “Christine”. After her birth there were 2 more siblings born: Stella Clinton and Augustine “James”. Her family was living in Chicago at the time of her birth, but her mother was visiting relatives, and because she was having difficulties with her pregnancy she was not allowed to travel back to Chicago by train.

1925 was the year when Lon Chaney won best actor in “Phantom of the Opera” and the best actress was Gloria Swanson. The Great Gatsby was published and Notre Dame beat Stanford in the Rose Bowl. The fashion was short skirts (not by todays standards!) and everyone was dancing the Charleston. Margaret Thatcher was also born this year and Calvin Coolidge was president. He was known for saying “The business of America is business.” In 1925 a 3 bedroom house cost about $5,000, a new Ford car cost $375 and gasoline was $0.22 a gallon. Stamps were 2 cents and new Levi’s were $2.25.

There were a lot of political firsts in that for the first time there were two women governors and the federal government stepped up the war on rum runners along the west coast. There was also the question whether or not Evolution should be taught in schools, and it was in court being defended by Clarence Darrow. The telephone was a “shared” line and calls had to be connected by the operator.

She grew up during the time of the Depression, and to help ends meet they raised rabbits for food. They were able to barter these for produce from other farms. Her mother started working for the County and at different times in her life she was the County Treasurer. She did not always get along with her siblings, and at times it was very hard for her there.

At 16 Ruth moved to Denver to stay with her cousin Mae, to help her with her children. She really enjoyed taking care of Carrie. She later got a job at the Lutheran Sanitorium, that became Exempla Lutheran Hospital. She worked in the kitchen and sometimes as a nurse’s aid. This was where she met Walter Piltz, who worked there running their dairy. There are many touching photos of them during this time. When they became engaged Walter got her a house to live in until they were married. Walter also bought the cemetery plot that they would be buried in when they passed.

Ruth and Walter were married on July 18th 1946. Ruth was a devout Catholic and Walter embraced that with her. He was baptized on June 16th 1953. Ruth joked about them getting married a second time in the church. From 1947 to 1964 they had eleven children.

1947 11/4 Katherine Beatrice

1949 10/13 Dolores “Nancy”

1952 11/20 Janet Zoe

1953 12/28 Daniel Emery

1955 4/2 Gary Michael

1956 6/11 Patricia Ann

1957 12/31 Timothy Mark

1958 12/30 Beverly Sharon and Barbara Karen

1960 9/30 Marie Stephanie

1964 6/24 Duane David

Ruth was away from her family in Kansas and Walter was a ward of the State of Colorado. Family was very important to them. When interviewed, separately, they were asked the question “How would you gauge your success in Life?” Both stated that they had eleven children, they all graduated and none were in jail. It was not easy to raise that many children, but for them it was a labor of love and family. The last few years Ruth has suffered many setbacks in her health, but I am sure if you ask any of her children they would state that she was stubborn, and a survivor. She held on for every birth of her grandchildren and embraced and enjoyed all the great grandchildren. She enjoyed seeing and visiting with them whenever she could.

We will miss you Ruth!!!!