Emma Beth (Crawford) Rutz was born March 20, 1936, in Girard, Kansas. She passed away two days after her 87th birthday, on March 22, 2023. Beth was the second daughter of Russell and Thelma (Windbigler) Crawford, and had an older sister, Ann, and younger sister, Mary Jane.
Beth attended Parsons High, where she played the bass violin in high school. She shared about having her guy friends carry the big violin for her, because it was too heavy. She worked at an ice cream shop as a teenager, and it is there that she met the love of her life, Jim, who was attending the local community college to play football. A little known fact about Beth, is that she was engaged to another young man, when she met Jim. Her fiancée
was in the military, and she wrote him a “Dear John” letter to break off their engagement. I guess that Beth just knew when she met Jim, that he was the one for her. They dated nine months and were married August 17th, 1956.
Just shy of their first anniversary, Jim and Beth welcomed their first child into the world. Elizabeth Jane was born fifteen days before their anniversary. It was only sixteen short months later that their second daughter, Julie Ann, arrived. Although Libby was quite satisfied at being an only child, she would get used to being a big sister to Julie soon enough. They remained a family of four for over seven years.
Early on in their marriage, Beth was a telephone operator in Herington, KS and worked nights at her job. Jim would take care of his two small daughters, and his specialty dinner was fried bologna and Campbell’s chicken noodle soup.
Though Beth had her hands full with two small girls so close in age, after the sisters had grown some, she and Jim decided to expand their family. On June 18th, 1966, they welcomed their first and only son, Stephen James, into the world. Just like before, Steve was not the baby for very long. Just over two years later, on October 2nd, 1968, Teresa Lyn came along and made the family a family of six. Steve was quite satisfied with being the baby, but Teresa took over that position, and has remained the youngest of four.
In Beth’s early forties she went back to school and attended Brown Mackie College to receive a secretarial degree. She would drive every day about an hour one way to go to class, having Steve and Teresa still at home to get on the bus before she left for her drive. She went for nine months, and practiced her shorthand at night and studied hard to achieve good grades in her classes. She did all this to help supplement the family’s income. Shortly after receiving her diploma, the family moved to Springfield, Colorado. There, she used her skill from college, to work for a dental office for several years. She enjoyed her job in the dental office with Dr. Branes, and the patients liked seeing Beth’s warm smile when going to their appointments. In 1987, after their youngest graduated from high school, Jim and Beth moved to Goodland, Kansas. Again, Beth used her skills from college and became a ward clerk for the Goodland Hospital. The couple lived in Goodland until three years ago in May.
In May of 2020, Jim and Beth moved to Minneapolis to be closer to their two older daughters. It was hard for Beth to leave their home in Goodland, but was what was best for Jim, since he had been diagnosed with dementia and Alzheimer’s, and had other health issues that required medical assistance.
Beth was a devoted mother, and always put her children before herself. She loved spending time with her kids and grandkids, and was happiest when she was around all her family. There was not anything she wouldn’t do for her children. She was patient, kind, and loving. She was a great example to her family and others that knew her. She loved to laugh, and her laughter was contagious.
Beth was preceded in death by her husband, Jim, just two and a half months ago. She was heartbroken without him and it is a true testament of their love that she wanted to be with him after he passed. She was also preceded in death by her parents, and both sisters.
Beth is survived by her four children: Libby Brown of Minneapolis, KS; Julie and Barry Nelson, of Delphos, KS; Steve Rutz, of Goodland, KS; and Teresa and Eric Jaquez, of Albuquerque, NM. Her legacy continues through her eight grandchildren and eleven great-grandchildren.
Funeral services will be at 1:30 PM, Monday, April 3, at Wilson Family Funeral Home, 405 Argyle Ave., Minneapolis, KS 67467. Burial will be in New Basel Cemetery, Abilene. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Living Cornerstone Fellowship Church of Delphos, KS, and will be in the care of the funeral home.