Served in the 4077th M.A.S.H.

U.S. Army Col. Ruth A. Kegler, 90, died Friday, Oct. 7, 2011. Interment will be in the military nurses section of Arlington National Cemetery in Washington, D.C., at a later date.

Ruth Alice Kegler was born April 12, 1921, in Blair to Fredrick and Freda (Grossoehme) Kegler. She graduated from Blair High School and attended nurses training in Omaha. She attended Johns Hopkins University and received special training to be a surgical nurse.

She enlisted in the Army and served in Korea as a M.A.S.H. nurse during the Korean Conflict. She served in the original 4077th Unit, as depicted on the popular television show, "M.A.S.H."

She received her bachelor of science in nursing degree from Incarnate Word College in San Antonio, Texas, in 1959 while stationed at Fort Sam Houston. Colonel Kegler served many tours of duty overseas including a stay in France plus Munich, Germany, in the 1960s and Frankfurt, Germany, in the 1970s.

She served as the Assistant Chief of Nursing at the Munich Army Hospital and as Chief of Nursing at the U.S. Army Hospital in Frankfurt. She also served a tour in Fredericksburg, MD, as a recruiter for Army nurses. She retired to Colorado Springs, Colo., in 1976. She was a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars and the Seventh Day Adventist Church.

Recently, she was residing at The Inn and at The Bridge in Colorado Springs.

She is survived by her nephews and spouses, Fred and Doris Snyder of Glendale, Ariz., Richard and Jamie Snyder of Columbus, John Kegler of Ottawa, Ill., Tom and Kim Kegler of Herman, Pat and Julia Snyder of Tarkio, Mo.; nieces, Virginia Shoberg of Fountain Hills, Ariz., Sandra Snyder of Colorado, Elizabeth McMurrin of Cedar Rapids, Iowa; and a number of great- and great-great nephews and nieces.

She was preceded in death by her siblings and their spouses, Dorothy Snyder, Fredrick Kegler, George Kegler, and Jean Snyder.

Memorials may be sent to Adventist Development and Relief Agency International, 12501 Old Columbia Pike, Silver Spring, MD, or the donor's choice.

~~~Obituaries courtesy of the Nebraska Washington County Genealogical Society. Newspaper clippings on file in the Blair, Nebraska Public Library~~~

Find a Grave Memorial #113341672