Obituary of Ruth Mary Freitag

Ruth Mary (Henkelmann) Freitag, 92, of Colorado Springs, Colorado passed away October 16, 2020. She was born November 1, 1927, in the town of Hewitt, Marathon County, Wisconsin, to Henry and Mary Henkelmann. Ruth graduated in 1948 as a Registered Nurse from Deaconess School of Nursing in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. She traveled and worked a few years eventually moving back to Milwaukee and retiring from Good Samaritan Medical Center as a Nursing Supervisor after twenty-five years. Married to Clarence Freitag in 1953, Ruth enjoyed raising her four children, sewing, needlework, the Women's Ministry at Jackson Park Lutheran Church and AAL activities. After retirement in 1985, they moved to Hot Springs Village, Arkansas, where she truly enjoyed being in the woods. Ruth was also an avid sports fan and card player, but her love of nursing and service continued for the next twenty plus years volunteering as Secretary, Vice President, and President of the Desoto Nurses Association, with the Village Loan Closet, Christ Lutheran Church Women's Ministry and Thrivent activities, helping those in need locally as well as overseas. With the passing of her husband in 2013, Ruth moved to Colorado Springs where she continued all of her passions, but most of all, her service of caring and compassion to those around her. Ruth touched many lives and was a loving and devoted wife, mother and grandmother. Her signature phrase "don't worry about me" is now so true! Ruth joins her husband in heaven and is survived by sons, Paul (Gladys) Freitag of Mukwonago, Wisconsin, and Peter (Sandy) Freitag of Oxford, Wisconsin; daughters, Mary (David) Fleurquin of Colorado Springs, Colorado, and Martha (Nick) Mangino of Westin, Colorado; grandchildren, Mark (Rainy) Tieman, Joseph Freitag, Amy Freitag, Jacob (Emily) Secor and Sara (Mitchell) Guida; great-grandchildren, Travis and Trinity Tieman, and Colton Freitag; brothers, Archie and Reinhold Henkelmann; brother-in-law, David Schilleman; and several nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents, Heinrich and Mary Henkelmann; and by her sisters, Hattie (John) Mattila and Beatrice Schilleman. A Celebration of Life will be held at a date to be determined at Arlington Park Cemetery, 4141 South 27th Street, Greenfield, Wisconsin, 53221.In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions in Ruth's memory may be made to the ELCA Disaster Relief Fund c/o First Lutheran Church, 1515 North Cascade Avenue, Colorado Springs, Colorado 80904:https://www.elca.org/our-work/relief-and-development/lutheran-disaster-response or toAudio Bibles For The Blind, 12108 10th Avenue East, Bradenton, Florida 34212.(They work in conjunction with the National and Colorado Talking Book Library):https://www.auroraministries.org/