Submitted by: Dan Rich

Ruth Brown

Dec. 22, 1914 - April 15, 1998

South Bend Tribune 4/17/1998

Ruth (Eber) Brown, formerly of Woodside Street in South Bend, Ind., passed away after an extended illness at 8 p.m. on Wednesday, April 15th, at the Bridgewood Healthcare Center. She was 83 years of age. Mrs. Brown was born on Dec. 22, 1914, to L. Frank and Emma B. Eber in Macy, Ind.

On March 2, 1946, she married Stanley R. Brown in Rochester, Ind. Mr. Brown preceded his wife in death, passing Jan. 12, 1997. Mrs. Brown was a longtime teacher at Colfax and Monroe Elementary Schools in the South Bend Community School Corporation. She also taught elementary school in Mount Vernon, Evansville and Plymouth schools. She retired in 1980 and, during that same year, Mrs. Brown was chosen to be first ever Teacher of the Year in South Bend Schools. She had also been nationally recognized for her ability to teach math. Her attention to detail, discipline and ability to teach instilled a love of learning in many of her students. One of those former students married her daughter Judith. Her teaching touched many lives, and many of her former students have succeeded in life because she made them learn arithmetic, phonics, and to diagram sentences, even though they did not want to at the time. Mrs. Brown was a longtime member of Ridgedale Presbyterian Church, where she served as an elder and deacon. She was also a life member of the PTA, Delta Kappa Gamma, an honorary organization for teachers, and Macy Chapter 124 of the Order of the Eastern Star. She held degrees from Indiana and Indiana State Universities and attended Stanford University as well.

She is survived by two daughters and a son-in-law, Sandra Weir of Minden, Nev., and Judith and Dave Anderson of Granger. Mrs. Brown's six grandchildren are: Chris Fulmer of San Jose, Calif., Jeff and Andrew Fulmer, both of Las Vegas, Karin Anderson of West Lafayette, Ind., Erik Anderson, an exchange student in Bottrop, Germany, and Julia Anderson, who lives at home with her parents in Granger. Two of her sisters and a brother and sister-in-law survive: Evelyn Klein of Warren, Mich., Wilma Richey of West Lafayette, Ind., and Robert and Rita Eber of Hamden, Conn.

Visitation will be from 2 to 4 and 6 to 8 p.m. on Sunday, April 19th, at the Guisinger Colonial Chapel Funeral Home in South Bend. A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. on Monday, April 20th, at Ridgedale Presbyterian Church. Memorial contributions in recognition of the achievements or her life may be made to either Ridgedale Church or to the South Bend Community School Corporation Education Foundation.