Ruth I. Plugge, 87

Ruth I. Plugge, 87, of Arlington, died Thursday, Oct. 21, 2010, at her daughter's home in Grand Island. Funeral services were Saturday, Oct. 23, at Arlington Community Church. Interment was in the Arlington Cemetery.

Ruth I. Svendgard was born April 12, 1923, in Arlington to Nels and Emma (Thielfoldt) Svendgard.

She was a 1940 graduate of Arlington High School and attended Midland Lutheran College for one year.

On Dec. 20, 1945, she married Sterling H. Plugge in Arlington.

She was employed by Drs. Bloch and Bloch in Arlington for more than 17 years; owned and operated Ruth's Beauty Shop in Arlington for 13 years; and then worked at Reckmeyer-Moser Funeral Home in Arlington for five years.

Mrs. Plugge was extremely active in her community. She was a member of the Arlington Community Church, UCC; was a charter member of the VFW Auxiliary Post No. 8332 of Arlington; served as an Arlington Village trustee for several years and was the mayor of Arlington for two years. In 2004, she was inducted into the Arlington Education Foundation's "Hall of Fame." She was a Red Cross volunteer at the Fremont Area Medical Center; and was a member of the Koffee Klatch in Arlington. She was proactive in many community projects.

She is survived by her son and daughter-in-law, Jay S. and Ana Plugge of San Carlos, Mexico; daughters and sons-in-law, Jennifer and Michael Arter of Lincoln, Jill and Steve Hornady of Grand Island, and Jaclyn and Bill Helfrey of Ashville, Ohio; seven grandchildren, Jason and Kristin Plugge of Minneapolis, Minn., Caitlin Arter of Omaha, Megan Arter and Joshua Arter, both of Lincoln; Taylor Musselman, Calla Helfrey, Emily Helfrey and Amber Helfrey, all of Ohio; and two great-grandchildren, Greta and Carson Plugge of Minneapolis.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Sterling, in 1986; a sister, Frances Behrendt; and grandson, Nathan Plugge.

Memorials are suggested to the Arlington Community Church and the Arlington Community Fund.

#2 Funeral Leaflet

In Memory of Ruth I. Plugge

April 12, 1923 Arlington, Nebraska ~ October 21, 2010 Grand Island, Nebraska

Funeral Service 10:30 A.M. Saturday, October 23, 2010 Arlington Community Church, Arlington, Nebraska. Officiating: The Rev. John Hogue. Organist: Ruby House. Soloist: Ralph Diffey. Congregational Hymn: “Amazing Grace”. Solo Selections: “I Believe”, “Take My Hand, Precious Lord”

Pallbearers: Jay Plugge, Michael Arter, Jeff Behrendt, Steve Hornady, William Helfrey, Joshua Arter, Jason Plugge

Interment: Arlington Cemetery, Arlington, Nebraska

Arrangements By Reckmeyer-Moser Funeral Home, Arlington, Nebraska

~~~ Obituary and funeral leaflet courtesy of Washington County Genealogical Society. Newspaper clippings and leaflets on file in the Blair Public Library at Blair, Nebraska~~~

FindaGrave #: 60427592