Seventeenth Generation

308. Ruth Anne ROOT (`~) was born on 9 September 1930 in Little Creek, Sparta Township, Monroe County, WI.^141,155,183 She appeared in the census in 1940 in Adrian Township, Monroe County, WI.²²¹ She graduated about 1948 in Tomah, Tomah Township, Monroe County, WI.²³² from Tomah High School. Ruth lived at her home in Racine, Racine County, WI in 2001.¹²⁴ She died on 31 January 2015 at the age of 84 in Racine, Mount Pleasant Township, Racine County, WI.⁹³

Obituary Notes: "Ruth Anne Wilson, 84, passed away peacefully at Harmony Commons on Saturday, January 31, 2015 with her family at her side. She was born in Sparta, WI on September 9, 1930, the daughter of the late Irvin and Minnie (nee: Jones) Root.

She met the love of her life, Ivan Wilson, at CC Club at Moody Memorial Church in Chicago. They were married in the Zion EUB Church in Sparta on September 4, 1954, and celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary this past September.

After years as a homemaker, in 1976 the Wilsons purchased the A & W root beer stand on 12th Street where Ruth Anne served hamburgers, fries and smiles for fourteen years. She was a longtime and very active member of Calvary Memorial Church. With a servant’s heart, over the years she taught Sunday School, was a leader in Pioneer Girls, worked in the nursery, was active in Calvary Missionary Society, and worked with teenage mothers, among many other service activities. She was known for her constant smile, gentle spirit, and caring respect for others.

Surviving and cherishing her memory are her husband, Ivan; their children, Judith Wilson, of Freedom, WI, Norman (Tarja) Wilson, of Mechanicsburg, PA, Stephen (Tammi) Wilson, of Racine, and Kathryn Wilson, of Kent, OH; seven grandchildren, Sarah, Thomas, Courtney, Jacob, Elizabeth, Christopher, and David; sister, Marita Root, of Downers Grove, IL and brother, Harold Root, of Roseville, MN. Her nieces, nephews, brothers and sisters-in-law, and other relatives and friends will also all hold her memory in their hearts.

In addition to her parents, Ruth Anne was preceded in death by her son, Bruce Wilson, grandson, James Wilson, brothers, Wesley and Norman Root, and sister, Lois Ness.

Her funeral service will be held at Calvary Memorial Church, 4001 Washington Ave., on Tuesday, February 3rd, at 1:00 p.m., with Rev. Nathan James officiating. Visitation will be at the church on Monday, from 6:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m., and at the church on Tuesday, from 12:00 noon until the time of the service. Private burial will take place in the Southern Wisconsin Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Union Grove, WI. For those who wish to make a memorial, the family suggested memorials to Calvary Memorial Church or to a charity of your choice."

Ruth Anne ROOT (`~) and Ivan James WILSON were married on 4 September 1954 in Sparta, Sparta Township, Monroe County, WI.¹⁴¹ in the Evangelical Church. Ivan James WILSON, son of (Unknown) WILSON and (Unknown) UNKNOWN (WILSON), was born on 4 April 1927.

Ruth Anne ROOT (`~) and Ivan James WILSON had the following children:

374	i.	Judith Ellen "Judy" WILSON was born on 14 October 1955.¹⁴¹ After 1978 she was a school teacher in Appleton, Outagamie County, WI.³⁸⁹
375	ii.	Bruce Allen WILSON was born on 11 April 1957 in Racine, Racine County, WI.^93,141 He died on 8 October 2014 at the age of 57.⁹³ Obituary Notes: "Bruce A. Wilson, 57, passed away after a long illness on October 8, 2014. He was born in Racine on April 11, 1957, son of Ivan and Ruth Anne (nee: Root) Wilson. Bruce graduated from Park High School in 1975. He then graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Engineering from the University of Wisconsin – Madison in 1979. Shortly after college, he moved to Friendswood, Texas to work for NASA as an engineer with Lockheed Martin. He retired in 2006 after a career working on the space shuttle and space station projects. Bruce was a lover of dogs all of his life; as a teenager, he used to train dogs at the Racine Kennel Club and before his illness his Australian Shepherd, Bandit, was his constant companion. Bruce loved the outdoors whether fishing or just being in nature. He planned to one day own a piece of land and a house up north in Wisconsin. Bruce leaves to cherish his memory, his parents, Ivan and Ruth Anne Wilson of Racine; siblings, Judith Wilson of Freedom, WI, Norman (Tarja) Wilson of Mechanicsburg, PA, Stephen (Tammi) Wilson of Racine, Kathryn Wilson of Kent, OH; nieces, nephews, and other relatives too numerous to mention. Bruce is preceded in death by his nephew, James Wilson. A celebration of Bruce’s life will take place on Friday, October 10, 2014, 3:00 pm, at Draeger-Langendorf Funeral Home and Crematory, 4600 County Line Road. Gathering time for family and friends will be from 2:30 pm until the time of the service. In lieu of flowers, the family has suggested memorials to the Alzheimer’s Association or to the Wisconsin Humane Society. .
+376	iii.	Doctor Norman James "Norm" WILSON.
+377	iv.	Stephen John "Steve" WILSON.
378	v.	Kathryn Sue "Kathy" WILSON was born on 24 September 1967.¹⁴¹