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Ruth Ann Gauthier went to be with the Lord on August 17, 2006. Ruth was born on June 11, 1945 in Port Huron, Michigan to Clarence and Naomi McGinnis. She is survived by her husband of 41 years John Gauthier, sister Sue Chidester, a brother Gary McGinnis, two daughters Tonya Kellum and Danita Gauthier and 5 grandchildren – her pride and joy, Chucky, Bobby, Chris, Jonathan & Cheyenne, along with countless cousins, nieces and nephews.

Ruth graduated in 1963 from Port Huron High School. For a short period of time she worked at the local Kmart. Then she worked for Dr. Shay in Port Huron, Michigan as an office assistant. In a book she wrote called “The Little White House on White Street” she talks about the day they were in the office working and had the radio on when the news came out that President John F. Kennedy had been shot. She says she always remembered that.

One day while Ruth and her friend Judy were driving up and down the local strip called “idiots Circle” they pulled into the local hang out “Powers Hamburger”. While sitting there a convertible with two cute guys pulled up. Her friend Judy knew both of them and began talking to them. Later we learned that one of them was John Gauthier, who originally asked Judy on a date, but when turned down asked Ruth for a date. She decided since she was the second choice to put him to a test and stated she would only go on a date with him if he went to church with her family first. Was she ever surprised when he showed up at her house the following Sunday ready for church.

John was stationed in Virginia at this time serving in the Coast Guard. So they continued to stay in contact sending letters and talking on the phone. But they knew that they were meant to be together when Ruth had convinced her father, while on a trip from Michigan to Florida, to go out of his way and stop in Virginia where John was stationed in the Coast Guard, just so she could spend a little time with him.

Ruth and John were married at her parents’ home in Port Huron, Michigan on July 2, 1965, and they held the reception downstairs in the basement. What a beautiful bride Ruth made. They continued to live in Port Huron until just after their first daughter Tonya was born July 25, 1967 at Selfridge Air Force Base.

John was then transferred to Cleveland, and they lived in a little home in Loraine, Ohio. They were only here for a short time.

Their next duty assignment was in Washington, D.C. and they lived in Forestville, Maryland. Their second daughter Danita was born February 23, 1970 at Andrews Air Force Base. Here Ruth met and became friends with Jimmy & Shirley Woodward. Shirley and Ruth became fast friends and as they would talk their kids would play with Tonya and Danita. One memory Ruth will never forget, or her daughter Tonya for that matter, was the day Tonya was impatiently waiting for the ice cream truck to get to the bottom of the apartment complex where they lived. Ruth was in the shower and Tonya said the truck was coming and was told by her mother to look both ways before crossing the one street outside their building to get her ice cream. It wasn’t long before there was a bang at the door and Ruth in her robe and a towel on her head was informed by two boys that her daughter Tonya had just been run over by a truck. Little did she know at that time, what really happened was Tonya, so excited to get her ice cream, had run up all the streets, and after getting her ice cream, proceeded to walk in front of the ice cream truck and without looking walked in front of a van going around the other side. She ended up with a nice little scar on her leg, one terrified mother, and a lollipop from the doctor.

Another duty assignment was in Hoffman Estates, Illinois where Ruth was enjoying being home with her girls. This was a short assignment before being transferred on to New York.

John and Ruth moved to Johnson City, New York and began attending First Baptist Church of Johnson City working together in the Bus Ministry and even the girls would ride the bus and help out by singing and holding up the song boards. Ruth even taught a Sunday School Class. While in New York Ruth met Sandy Kadlecik and they soon became good friends. Sandy got Ruth a job at a Doctors Office where she worked for a while. Ruth tended to a garden they had out back, helped with homework, running the girls to the park and their friends and loved to socialize with all the friends from the church. One memory here she never forgot was the night she took Tonya and Danita to the local YMCA for the Halloween Haunted House. After going through the Haunted House they were standing next to a curtain wall eating cookies when an arm reached through the curtain and grabbed onto Ruth’s shoulder. She let out a really loud scream and ran to the other side of the room. A monster was grabbing her through the curtain. What a night that was.

After New York, the family moved to Peoria, Illinois to assist in getting a bus ministry started at another church. Residing there for only 6 short months. On the day we packed up to move a bad storm came through, wind, rain and hail, in the spring time, so much so that the u-haul trailer was being pulled into the deep gully behind the house we lived in. While John and friends were saving the trailer Ruth was cleaning up the mess the girls were making by running outside to grab these balls of hail and rush them into the bathtub to try and save.

June 1980 saw Ruth, John and the girls moving into a mobile home next to John’s parents in Wesley Chapel, Florida. John started a lawn care business and Ruth was working at Saddlebrook Golf & Tennis Resort in the housekeeping department. Ruth loved to crochet afghans, needlepoint and even got started into genealogy, which she was introduced to by her cousin Karen. Ruth became the family historian from this point on making books of the family lines for all the family members.

After Tonya had joined the Army and Danita moved away with her kids John and Ruth moved into Carlton Arms in Town ‘N’ Country, Florida where Ruth went to work in the deli at Kash ‘N’ Karry. She continued to crochet blankets, needlepoint and work on her genealogy. At this time John was into photography.

A few years later John’s sister Terrie came up for reassignment and John and Ruth bought the home located on Diehl Street in Valrico, Florida since 1992. Ruth turned it into a beautiful home. One that everyone felt welcome in, she always had a smile on her face and her constant laughter brought joy to everyone who stopped in. Ruth transferred to the local Kash ‘N’ Karry and continued to work in the deli for a while longer. At this point she was really into her genealogy and with the help of her daughter they began to expand their research and went out onto the world wide web creating their own genealogy website and email group. My Family’s Heart Genealogy has been online since 1998, though downsized in recent years the site still remains as a testament to the hard work and loving dedication Ruth and Tonya put into researching the families history.

Later Ruth went to work for Masters Cleaners, working at several of their local stores, meeting lots of people along the way to include a local county commissioner Rhonda Storms. She worked for the cleaners for 4 years before taking a break. Then she stayed home to take care of John, spent lots of quality time with her 5 grandchildren who she loved very much and visited with her daughters, family and friends. She was always crocheting a blanket, working on a needlepoint project or working on her genealogy.

And lets not forget every Christmas, the wonderful Christmas letters that Ruth would put together that would always contain a years worth of beautiful memories and pictures written in a way that always made you smile, bring a tear to your eye and laugh all at the same time.

Ruth will always be in the hearts of each person she touched throughout her life. Her love of life, undying love of the Lord and her generous spirit made her one of those unforgettable people. We will miss you dearly.

Love John, Tonya & Danita