Ruth E. Mellenberger, age 91 of Darlington, WI passed away Thursday, January 14, 2021 at Memorial Hospital of Lafayette County in Darlington. She was born February 8, 1929 in Argyle, WI the daughter of Israel and Catharine (Fischer) Nall. Ruth grew up in the Argyle area where she graduated from Argyle High School in 1948 where she was a drum majorette. She was united in marriage to her husband Ted A. Mellenberger on September 6, 1949 at Argyle Lutheran Church in Argyle. She and Ted lived and farmed in the South Wayne, WI area for 30 years. In 1993, she moved to Monroe, WI where she lived until 2000 when she moved to Darlington to be closer to her family. Ruth worked at Frito Lay and Farm & Fleet in Monroe for a couple of years and later worked seasonally at Swiss Colony.
Ruth was a member of Peace United Church of Christ in Browntown, WI. Along with a few friends and neighbors, Ted and Ruth were instrumental in forming the TriHi 4-H Club in South Wayne. Ruth was an avid sewer, quilter, gardener, and made beautiful ceramics. Ruth kept her passion for sewing until the end, making COVID masks and donating them to the hospital and working on scarves for her grandchildren for Christmas, and made hundreds of hot pads, quilts, and baby blankets for them as well. She had a knack for decorating cake – owning her own cake decorating business for 14 years in southern Wisconsin and northern Illinois. She also taught a cake decorating class at the Black Hawk High School thru the Lafayette County Extension Office. Ruth cherished her family, especially her grandchildren and the memories they created together. She will be sadly missed and fondly remembered by her family and friends.
Ruth is survived by her children: Terry (Rose) Mellenberger of Benton, WI, Mark (Sally) Mellenberger of South Wayne, Robin (Dave) Stahlnecker and Shelley (Danny) Lange both of rural Darlington; 12 grandchildren; 17 great-grandchildren; and one brother: Norman (Edie) Nall of Monroe.
She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband Ted in 1986; two brothers: John Nall and Robert Nall; and two sisters: Marian (Wayne) Herman and Iola (Sonny) Thompson; her mother and father-in-law: Ernest and Emma (Maaske) Mellenberger; three nieces: Cathy Herman, Candy Herman, and Kathy (Kummer) McCormick; a nephew: Troy Mellenberger; and several brother and sisters-in-law: Dorothy (Mellenberger) Anderson, Frederick (Evelyn Mellenberger) Kummer, Richard Mellenberger, Ed Anderson, and Clifford Mellenberger.
A private family memorial service will be held Tuesday, January 19, 2021 at Erickson Funeral Home (508 Main St., Darlington) with Rev. Nick McElrath of First Baptist Church in Darlington officiating. Burial will be in Greenwood Cemetery in Monroe, WI at a later date.
In lieu of flowers, a memorial fund has been established in Ruth’s name.
