Ruth Ann Unruh

Ruth Ann Unruh took her final bow on January 21, 2025, just a week shy of her 82nd birthday. After a terminal cancer diagnosis in November, she passed away in Merriam, Kansas leaving behind a garden of memories that will bloom forever in our hearts.

Born in the Little Apple—Manhattan, Kansas—on January 28, 1943 to Wilbur Victor Unruh and Ada Kathryn (Ruth) Unruh, Ruth Ann (Ruthie, Auntie, Grandma) was known for her quick wit, green thumb, and a heart as big as her laugh.

Ruth Ann spent her career as a beloved 5th-grade school teacher for many years at Santa Fe Trail. She was a scholar at heart, holding a Bachelor's degree from Grinnell College and a Master's degree from Columbia University in the Big Apple. Her passion for learning was only rivaled by her love of gardening. “God Laughs in Flowers” hangs over her kitchen sink.

A Master Gardener and enthusiastic member of the Junior Master Gardeners at Santa Fe Trail, Ruth Ann could coax life out of even the most stubborn soil as she would pass on her craft to the next generation of gardeners. Her gardens were legendary; neighbors and the mailman often suspected her of having magical powers when it came to her front yard gardens.

When not sweating in the garden, Ruth Ann enjoyed traveling for adventure or to see family and friends. Her travels saw tales of history, pipe organs, and flowers. Paris’ Luxembourg gardens and the Amsterdam flower auction being favorites.

As a devout member of Southminster Church where her faith blossomed for 48 years. Her laughter and stories enlivened countless Sundays, choir practices, and her generous spirit touched everyone she met. Her metaphorical bouquets included the overseeing of the Casavant pipe organ to the sanctuary and Journey to Bethlehem, which brings to life the Nativity story as an immersive walk through exploration of the Birth of Christ, complete with a costumed cast and even live sheep and chickens.

Ruth Ann was preceded in death by her husband, Loren Sommer, and her son, Darin (Nicole) Jupe. She is survived by her sons, Brian (Judy) Jupe and Ben (Deanna) Courtright, her daughter, Shawna (Tom) Atteberry, and an ever-growing bouquet of grandchildren and great-grandchildren, whose lives she enriched like her own well-tended garden.

A memorial service celebrating Ruth Ann’s vibrant life will be at Southminster Church in Prairie Village, Kansas on March 1st, at 2pm. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests planting something beautiful in your own garden in her memory—Ruth Ann would have liked that.

Ruth Ann Unruh may have left us, but her laughter, wisdom, and the seeds she planted continue to grow in our hearts.