Ruth Schaben

Due to the current concerns with Covid 19, the family will be having a Private Mass of Christian Burial and no visitation.

Friends are welcome to watch the funeral mass that will be live streamed on the Fouts Funeral Home Facebook page starting at 4:00 p.m.

Ruth Marie Schaben was born on June 28, 1927, to Jacob and Margaret (Kenkel) Schiltz in Westphalia, Iowa. She was the youngest of four children. Ruth graduated from St. Joseph High School in Earling in 1945. Ruth married Jim Schaben on June 15, 1948. The couple was blessed with eight children. After starting their bar business in Earling, Jim and Ruth purchased the Dunlap Livestock Auction in 1950. In 1974, they built the current facility.

Ruth was a member of the St. Patrick Catholic Church and was a member of the Alter Society and the Catholic Daughters. Ruth worked at the Dunlap Livestock Auction from 1950 continuing until her un-official retirement in 2019. For years Ruth worked in the office, but with the purchase of a new computer system for the auction in the early 1990’s, Ruth switched positions and moved to the auction block running the hydraulic gates for over 25 years. It was a great joy for Ruth to work directly with her children in the auction process. Ruth would surely extend appreciation to all of the wonderful people that she, along with Jim, got to meet in their time at the auction. Ruth was a devoted wife to Jim, enduring starting a business and political campaigns, while raising a young family in the 1960’s and 70’s. Ruth and Jim loved to travel and fondly talked often of their trips to Australia and Germany. Ruth was a fantastic caregiver for Jim in his later years as he battled Alzheimer’s. Ruth had a great sense of giving back, most recently with a donation for the new fire station in Dunlap. Ruth loved being a grandma, especially her trips with her grandsons to the horse races to watch her last horse, Dixie Surge, win several races. Ruth loved a good game of euchre and wouldn’t be at all ashamed of rubbing it in after a good whooping was put on. Ruth will be missed for her commitment to God, husband and children, and no doubt in that order!

Ruth passed away peacefully at her home in Dunlap, Iowa on Sunday, February 7, 2021, at the age of 93 years, seven months and 10 days.

Ruth was preceded in death by her husband, Jim; parents; infant daughter, Geraldine, at nine months old; granddaughter, Alexandria Schaben; sisters, Alice Fahn, Edna Schiltz; and brother, Walter Schiltz. Left to cherish her memory are seven children, Jay (Karla) Schaben of Dunlap, Jeri Schaben of Omaha, Nebraska, Jim (Cindie) Schaben of Dunlap, Jack (Linda) Schaben of Spirit Lake, Iowa, Joe (Beth) Schaben of Dunlap, Jean Schaben of Phoenix, Arizona and Jon (Julie) Schaben of Dunlap; 16 grandchildren; 19 great-grandchildren; and many other relatives and friends.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Jim and Ruth Scholarship Fund or Dunlap Fire and Rescue.