Ruth Ellen Owen, 91, passed away peacefully on November 8, 2025, surrounded by the love of her family at her home at Browning Masonic Community in Waterville, OH. Born on August 19, 1934, in Toledo, OH, Ruth lived a life centered on faith, family, and a wholehearted devotion to those she loved most.
She is the last of a great generation born during the Great Depression.  She was born to the late George Gabel and Helen Culley Schultz.  She and her sister Jeanne Gabel Cofer, supported each other throughout their lifetimes and Jeanne preceded her in death in 2020.
Ruth was the proud mother of six children, Terri (Steve) Mortemore, Scott Owen, John Owen (deceased in 2022), Mike (Debbie) Owen, Lisa (Curtis Colvin) Boutylkine, and Pat (Tony Fadale) Owen. She was grandmother to many grandchildren and several great grandchildren. She is also survived by Jeanne’s children – nephews Jim, Jeff, Ken, and Marc Cofer and niece Deb Cowles, along with many nieces and nephews from the Owen side of her family.
Ruth found her greatest purpose and joy in motherhood.  She had a natural gift for providing fresh nutritious meals through her cooking. The scent of good food was common in her home. She was an excellent seamstress and gardener, always growing and canning most of her family’s food each summer and fall.  She volunteered her time as a Den Mother during the Cub Scout years for her boys and helped with Camp Fire groups for her girls.  She was an “Uber driver” before such a thing existed, participating in countless carpools to safely get her children and their friends to school and their activities.  After her years as a homemaker, she continued caring for others in settings like secretary for the Religious Education Center at Sacred Heart Church in Fremont, OH and various convenience stores where she lived.  Ruth held a side handle baton certificate when she worked for the Police Dept at the University of North Carolina - Greensboro. During the last years of her working career, she served meals to the railroad crews in Willard, OH at a local hotel where they stayed between shifts.
Ruth’s legacy lives on in the lessons she instilled in her family: the value of dedication, the importance of hard work, and the belief that when you commit to something you follow through to the end. She was an example to her children of how to be resilient, navigating many of life’s challenges with a positive attitude.
A celebration of Ruth’s life will take place at a later date.
Memorials to honor Ruth may be made to Browning Masonic Community (8883 Browning Dr Waterville, OH 43566).  The staff at Browning cared for her as “family” and she was loved by them too.  We are eternally grateful for the love and care they showered on Ruth at the end of her life.  
Wisniewski and Wick Funeral home is assisting the family with arrangements