H. Ruth Mertz

July 9, 1924 - March 18, 2020

H. Ruth “Ruthie” Mertz, age 95, of Chadwick, IL, passed away Wednesday, March 18, 2020, in her home. A private family service will be held, with burial taking place at Chadwick Cemetery. Ruth was born July, 9, 1924, in Salem, IL, the daughter of Owen and Flossie (Gilmore) Sands. She attended Rock Falls Schools, graduating from Rock Falls High School with the class of 1942. On July 11, 1942, Ruth married Lowell Mertz. They raised three children together and celebrated nearly 77 years of marriage, before Lowell’s passing in 2019. Ruth gave 25 years of service to General Electric, in Morrison, IL, and worked as a shop manager in her and her husband’s auto shop, and an election worker for Carroll County. She was also active in 4-H Club. Ruth’s life could be defined by the things she loved. She loved her daily walks. She loved singing her gospel hymns. She loved sports; both playing and watching. She loved her butterscotch candies, her daily trips with the ladies for coffee, and her cardinals. Now let’s be clear. She loved cardinals…not THE Cardinals. Ruth died a Cubs fan through and through! We saw her, on many occasions, chase down a Cubs naysayer, purse swinging, for badmouthing her Cubbies. If you knew Ruth, that feistiness should come as no surprise. She was an ever-passionate, go-getter to highest degree, and she kept that mentality right up until the very end. We’ll always remember her quick wit, her on-the-go attitude, and her capacity to love. As you can see, she loved many things, but her love for others was the greatest of them. She was a giver who placed others before herself, and put God and her family above everything in life. Ruth will be dearly missed by her son, Jim Mertz, of Chadwick, IL; daughters, Judy Kraft, of Willis, TX, and Debbie Mertz, of Chadwick, IL; six grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren. Ruth is preceded in death by her parents, Owen and Flossie; husband, Lowell; brothers, Delbert and Clifford Sands; and sister, Dorothy Bass.