 The late Alberta Reiterman was among scores of teachers, friends and
well-wishers who attended her 100th birthday party last year.
Her daughter Kathy, with husband Bill, of Las Vegas, were at
Ruth's side these past few weeks. She was somewhat talkative
Tuesday, recognized those who were there and tried to speak to them
as best she could.
She slipped into a coma early Wednesday and died peacefully at
St. Clara's Manor. Her twin brother died many years ago and her
older sister 15 years ago.
Ruth grew up on a farm east of Chestnut.
She survived the tornado that affected Cornland, Lake Fork, Mount
Pulaski, Chestnut, Kenney and Clinton in April 1927, being sucked
out of the school building as a young student into a nearby cabbage
garden. Her father drove his horse-drawn wagon to town to locate and
transport his three shaken and bruised children back home, as their
ponies were scared off. Two students at the Chestnut school died
that day.
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She became a teacher and taught for many years at Chestnut Grade
School. She ended her active full-time career teaching at the
Lincoln Developmental School, where she participated in a study with
a renown University of Illinois professor who wrote a book on
educating the mentally impaired.
During much of her early retirement years, she worked as a
substitute teacher in the Lincoln schools and then volunteered as a
teacher's aide. She especially enjoyed working with art teachers and
their students, who learned her method of drawing animals by using
curvy letters of the alphabet.
Until last October, she continued to drive her car all over the
place — shopping, church services, funerals, weddings, nursing home
visits, retired teacher meetings, performances, health appointments
and eating out.
For funeral information and obituary,
click here.
[By PHIL BERTONI] |
