Ruth E. Schmatz's Obituary
Ruth Ellen Hofer Schmatz of Amherst, Wisconsin, passed away on January 26, 2015.
She was born in March of 1924 in Mercer County, Illinois, to Elmer and Marna Hofer. She attended public schools in Illinois and received an MA in Educational Psychology from the University of Minnesota in 1948. She was married to Robert Schmatz in 1953.
Ruth taught in public schools in Illinois, New York and Wisconsin. She also worked in university laboratory schools, summer camps and a reform school for boys, and taught courses in children’s literature and education at Michigan State University and University of Wisconsin, Stevens Point. Passionate about literacy and education, Ruth taught people to read in classrooms at every grade level, and after retirement as a volunteer. She and her husband co-authored a column in Instructor, a professional journal for educators, from 1974 to 1977. Ruth and Bob owned and operated Camp Mikquano, a private boys’ recreational summer camp in Nelsonville, Wisconsin from 1966 to 1978. In retirement, Ruth was an active volunteer for a variety of educational and community organizations. She contributed thousands of hours of service to Amherst’s Lettie Jensen Library, with a focus on their juvenile and young adult collection.
Ruth is survived by two children: Jeffrey (Donna) Schmatz of McAllen, Texas and Pat Schmatz of Nelsonville, Wisconsin. She is also survived by grandson Jeremy Schmatz and step-grandsons Jason Huebinger and Ryan Huebinger. She was preceded in death by husband Robert Schmatz and siblings Lester Hofer, Floyd Hofer, Harriet (Hofer) Meeks, and John Hofer.
The family will celebrate and honor Ruth’s life in a private ceremony at a future date. Memorial donations may be made to the Lettie Jensen Library or the Tomorrow River Scholarship Foundation in Amherst, Wisconsin.
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