Ruth C. Kopitzke

Ruth C. Kopitzke, 82, of the Town of Grant, passed away surrounded by her loving family on Monday afternoon, Feb. 8, 2021, at her home. Ruth Carol Linke was born on July 29, 1938, in the Town of Fairbanks, Shawano County, as the daughter of the late Reinhold and Wilma (Thies) Linke. After high school, Ruth earned her nursing degree from Mercy School of Nursing in Oshkosh, graduating on Aug. 16, 1959. A week later, she married her sweetheart, Gordon Kopitzke at Peace Lutheran Church in Split Rock on Aug. 23, 1959. The couple were wed by the Rev. Dumke and began helping Ruth’s parents on the Linke family farm. They became members of St. John’s Lutheran Church in Marion and are current members at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in the Town of Dupont. Ruth began her nursing career at the Shawano Hospital. She continued her nursing career as a supervisor at the Clintonville Clinic, as well as a nurse in the Emergency Room of the Clintonville Hospital, the Homme Home in Wittenberg, in hospice and home care for Shawano County, and finished her nursing career with ThedaCare as a home care and hospice nurse, retiring in 1998. Ruth loved spending time with family and especially looked forward to the family fishing trips in Canada each year. She loved to knit and work on embroidery in her spare time and rarely missed any of her grandchildren’s events. Ruth enjoyed playing bridge with her friends in the Get Set Bridge Club and Women’s Club Bridge Marathon. In her spare time, she liked tending to her flowers and was always moving her plants. Ruth and Gordon loved watching sports of all kinds and were big fans of the Milwaukee Brewers and Bucks. Most importantly, she knew her Lord and Savior and her family will look forward to the reunion with her in her new Heavenly Home. Survivors include her husband of 61 years, Gordon Kopitzke; children, John (Rita) Kopitzke and Karen (John) Riemer; grandchildren, Christopher Kopitzke, Hunter (Betsy) Kopitzke, Gunner (Jessalyn) Kopitzke, Summer Kopitzke, Nikole Poock, Cody (Calissa) Riemer and Chelsea Riemer; great-grandchildren, Aspyn, Kinsley and Bryce Kopitzke, Johnathan “J.J.” Poock, Camryn Riemer and Mayliana Dixon; brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Dale and Sandy Kopitzke; and nieces, Gayle Kopitzke and Sally (Chris) Kosciusko. Ruth was preceded in death by her parents, Reinhold and Wilma Linke; maternal grandparents, Albert and Emma Thies; and sisters-in-law, Jean and Joyce Kopitzke. Ruth’s memorial service was held Saturday, Feb. 13, 2021, at 11 a.m. at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in the Town of Dupont, and her daughter, Pastor Karen Riemer, officiated. Inurnment will take place at the Peace Lutheran Cemetery in Split Rock later in spring. In lieu of flowers, memorials to St. Paul’s Lutheran Church would be appreciated by her family. The Eberhardt-Stevenson Funeral Home and Crematory of Marion is assisting her family. www.eberhardtstevenson.com The Kopitzke family would like to thank the staff at ThedaCare at Home Hospice, Dr. Yao and the cancer team at ThedaCare, and also her good friend, Char, for taking such good care of her during her illness.