Ruth Karloski

Ruth Lois Karloski, 90, of Decatur and Carlinville died on Tuesday afternoon, 21 May 2019, at Heritage Health in Carlinville. Funeral services will be at 2:00 on Wednesday, 29 May, at Trinity Lutheran Church in Decatur, with visitation one hour prior to services at the church and also from 5-7 p.m., Tuesday, 28 May, at Brintlinger and Earl Funeral Home, Decatur. Burial will be in Graceland Cemetery, Decatur. Memorials may be made to Trinity Lutheran Church or the Lutheran School Association of Decatur. Miss Karloski was born in Decatur on 19 May 1929, a daughter of Herman and Mamie (Salogga) Karloski. Upon graduation from Decatur High School in 1947, she continued her education at Illinois State Normal University obtaining her undergraduate degree with a major in social sciences and a minor in library science in 1950. Ruth spent the next six years as librarian for Bent Elementary School in Bloomington. Ruth's Mother, Mamie, encouraged her children to continue furthering their education, so Ruth entered the Graduate School of Library Science at the University of Illinois, earning a Master's Degree in 1957. That summer, Miss Karloski applied for the position of Carlinville School District librarian; the superintendent interviewed and employed her over the phone. Ruth spent the next 45 years as the school librarian; nearly everyone in town knew, loved and respected her. At her retirement in 2002, Ruth was named Teacher of the Year and honored for her dedication and commitment to children and teachers, alike. Ruth's mission and pleasure for half a century was "Seeing the joy the children have in hearing a story, then reading a story, and learning to read a story to you, and the satisfaction of older children finding the information they're interested in learning about, finding something they really like even if it's not for an assignment." Ruth was a lifelong member of Trinity Lutheran Church and longed for the day she would join her family and friends in her eternal home with her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Surviving is her sister-in-law, Norma, of Decatur; niece, Mary Duncan of O'Fallon, Illinois; niece, Peggy and husband Randy Miller of Lincoln, Illinois; niece, Rhoda and husband Tom Storck of Omaha, Nebraska; nephew, Paul and wife Mary Kay Thomas of Middletown, Missouri; niece, Kathy and husband Steve Gannaway of Joliet, Illinois; niece, Jody and husband Tom Krueger of Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin; nephew Dan and wife Susan Karloski of Pearland, Texas, and niece Jennifer and husband Joe Herl of Seward, Nebraska; plus many grand and great-grand nieces and nephews; and special friends, Elizabeth Dingus and Ardeth Jokisch of Carlinville. Ruth was preceded in death by her parents; brother Robert, sister Helen (Karloski) and brother-in-law Melvin Thomas, and brother Walter and sister-in-law Annalee. "
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