Dora Ruth Unruh

Dora Ruth Goertzen was born on February 2, 1931. She was the fourth of five children born to Arnold S. and Eva (Janzen) Goertzen. Her older siblings were Elma, Matilda, and Milton. Dora’s earliest memory was sitting on her mother’s hospital bed as she was introduced to her new baby brother, Orlando. She was born into a shattered world still recovering from the bank and stock market crashes of the Great Depression. In addition, an extended drought with terrible dust storms in mid – 1930’s put additional pressure on farm families. Although cash money was scarce and her parents worked hard to hang onto the family farm, she remembered her childhood as a happy time with lots of cousins to play with and plenty of food from the garden and farm. They always went to church on Sunday mornings and for many Sunday evening services. The only exceptions were when the 4 ½ miles of dirt roads were impassable. Dora was baptized upon confession of faith and received into membership at Tabor Mennonite Church on May 16, 1948 and remained a lifelong member of Tabor. She attended grade school through Grade 8 at Heimbaugh, the same one room school that her father had attended. It was a half mile walk to their west corner from the farm. For her Freshman and Senior years of Goessel High School, her brothers Milton, and later, Orlando, drove a 1931 Model A Ford the 7 ½ miles often on muddy or snow-drifted roads. During her Sophomore and Junior years, she boarded in town, taking food to cook from home on Mondays, and not seeing her parents again until Friday evening. Dora graduated as Salutatorian of her Class of 1949. However, they had a very poor wheat crop of only 5 bushels per acre that year and as she was unsure what to study, it was decided that she should help out at home. Also, during this time she also worked as a nurse aide at Bethesda Home in Goessel. Although Mom and Dad both grew up at Tabor, he went to Walton Schools and she had never really noticed him until he asked to take her to a play at Bethel College. Several years later Dora and Charles David Unruh were married on January 24, 1953 at Tabor Mennonite Church. The date was chosen since there was not much happening on the farm except chores. During their honeymoon to Galveston, Texas, the wheat finally came up. About six weeks before their wedding, Dad told Mom he had bought an 80 acre farm, which he described as a rather poor farm, a mile north from his place. The first time she saw it was by flashlight. The old house was rather small but she was pleased to see several out buildings in good, useable shape. So began 60 years of building a farm and raising a family. A family to which three sons were born; Lewis, Harlin, and James. Everyone worked hard and kept busy. As the boys became school age, Dora started driving school bus for the Newton district. Charles had been driving a number of years already and this freed him up as the farm grew. In the beginning, James often went along for the ride, sitting beside her on the bus heater. This was a job she had for about 35 years. During the summer she drove trucks for wheat harvest. Wheat harvest was strictly a two-person team operation – Mom & Dad, until they were both well into their 70’s. Many days they would cut wheat as long as the Co-op would stay open and then she would come home and have three hungry boys to feed. She also drove truck for silo filling and kept a large garden, after all, she had three hungry boys to feed. She worked hard. In 1980, when Lewis got married, they left the home place and moved to an almost new house nearby. Soon she had a new role; Grandma. She was the No. 1 babysitter and kept an active interest in the activities of her grandchildren, attending most sporting events and other school activities. Eventually there were nine grandchildren and a number of foreign exchange students (temporary grandchildren). She crafted personalized, handmade Christmas stockings for each to hang at Christmas time. She was proud of all her grandchildren, especially that all nine were college graduates including several with advanced degrees, something she had been unable to do. Dora and Charles celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary in 2013, several months before Dad passed away. Since that time, she experienced a serious house fire and a number of health challenges. Throughout she tackled these challenges with a “can do” spirit and an appreciation of her family and friends. Dora spent less than two weeks at Bethesda Home before passing away peacefully on May 11, 2021. She was the last of her siblings and leaves behind her three sons and their wives: Lewis and Carrie, Harlin and Doris, James and Karen, nine grandchildren, and eight great grandchildren. Cremation is planned with memorial services to be held at 6 p.m., Friday, May 28, 2021 at Tabor Mennonite Church. Private inurnment will be held at the church cemetery. The family will meet with friends from 7 to 9 p.m., Thursday, May 27 at the church. Memorial contributions may be made to Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) in care of Miller-Ott Funeral Home, PO Box 96, Goessel, Kansas 67053.

Dora Ruth Unruh

February 2, 1931 - May 11, 2021