Obituary

On New Year’s Day, 1937, a sweet baby girl was born to Wallace and Anna (Boten) Borgman. Her name was Ruth Ann, and like the biblical figure Ruth, she lived her life representing loyalty and devotion, and redemption and hope. Born at the Old Lee’s Summit Hospital, located near Lakewood, Ruth Ann grew up as the middle child, with two siblings, William Borgman, and Mary Sue Borgman. They lived at Lake Lotawana, MO, and attended Mason Elementary School. Ruth attended Lee’s Summit High School (class of 1955), and met her future husband, Willis Clark. It was quite a courtship, as dad worked hard to win the heart of Ruth. His work yielded him great rewards, and upon her graduation from high school, they were married on June 7, 1955. In 1957, she was expecting their first child, Phyllis Ann, born in 1958, and he built her their life-long home at 411 SW Jefferson. They had two additional children, Linda Sue (1960), and Willis Junior (1962). They lived their lives over 65 years in the home and could be seen on a daily basis sitting under their carport, smiling at the life they had built on Jefferson and Market Streets. Mom was the ultimate caregiver, and when our father was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in his 70’s, mom cared for him for 14 years until he passed away. Dad went to be with the Lord on January 22, 2020, to be joined by his wife and partner Ruth Ann, four years, four months, and 25 days later. Our family knows that they are now square dancing in heaven and enjoying their beautiful reunion. Theirs was a love story like no other!

Our sweet mother was nothing short of an angel. She modeled patience and tolerance as a mother, kindness as a human, love, and loyalty as a wife, and loved to have fun. She was the manager of the household, our tutor when school became difficult, our car ride to dance, music, guitar, cheerleading, play practice, slumber parties, and the other things that she enrolled in, and we were busy with! Ruth never missed serving her family a meal at 5:30 p.m. In her later years, she spent lots of wonderful times with her family at church, cookouts, and especially enjoyed her time with her great-grandsons. She loved playing Bingo and getting her hair done while at Assisted Living at John Knox Village. One of her favorite things was going to lunch at 54th Street Grill – always having a cheeseburger, fries, and an iced tea!

While our hearts are broken, we are also at peace knowing she is with our dad and is in the Kingdom of Heaven. Ruth truly was the most wonderful, kind, patient, tolerant, loyal, loving, compassionate, fun-loving Christian woman we have ever known. She was ours…our mom, our grandma, our great grandma, our rock, and our life! We were all blessed to have had time to say goodbye to her and affirm how much we dearly love her while in Hospice Care at John Knox Village Care Center.

Ruth is survived by her children, Phyllis Balagna Reynolds (Tom Reynolds), and Linda Sue Brown (Steve Hazlette), her granddaughters, Jennifer Talley (Kale), Jill Balagna (Michael), Laura Reynolds Wiarda (Neil), Laura Doolan, Leah Finkeldei (Austin), Mica Chase (Tyler); her great grandsons Brody Ayers (15), Ashton Auvigne (3 ½), Declan Finkeldei (3), Clark Talley (2).

Funeral will be held on Wednesday, May 29th at First Baptist Church of Lee’s Summit at 2 NE Douglas Street. Visitation is at 10:00 a.m., and service is at 11:00 a.m. A Celebration of Life will be held at the home of Tom and Phyllis Reynolds at 12:30 p.m. at 124 Algonquin Drive, Lake Winnebago, MO. All are welcome and invited to attend; Ruth’s favorite lunch (cheeseburgers) will be served.

In memory of Ruth, you are welcome to send flowers to the family or donate to the church in her honor. Please send to the First Baptist Church.

“Honor her for all that her hands have done, and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.” Proverbs 31:26