Ruth Helen Steichen, age 94, long time resident of Ponca City, passed away on Thursday, November 14, 2019 at her home.

Ruth was born on March 17, 1925 in Chickasha, OK, the second daughter to Catherine and Joe Mildfelt. The Mildfelt family lived in Perry during her early years where her father was a barber, and where both her parents had been raised on farms with a strong Catholic background. When Ruth was 8 years old, her father purchased a 160 acre farm in Richmond, Kansas and the family moved to the Kansas farm where her mother was known for delicious food,cake decorating, and catering. Ruth continued to keep her Perry ties and worked for the Donaghue family during the summer when she was 16, which is when she had her first 30 minute ice cream cone date with her future husband, “Jody,” chaperoned by his brother John. Ruth graduated from Richmond High School and worked at Galts gas station during her school years. After graduation, Ruth moved to Kansas City with her sister and worked for the Civilian Conservation Corps for two years.

She married Joseph Cleo Steichen on December 1, 1945 and together they established Silvertop Farm, southwest of Ponca City, among a large nucleus of Steichen and Schiltz farm families. She felt fortunate to marry into a large Catholic family and community that she enjoyed very much. They were married for 61 years until Joe’s death on December 12, 2006.

She is survived by her five children - Thomas, Larry, Linda, Rebecca and Mary - and their respective spouses, grandchildren, and great grandchildren. She is also survived by her brother, Jerry Mildfelt, of Fort Scott, KS. She was preceded in death by her parents, two brothers, Tommy - who died at the end of World War II on his way home from active duty - and Gene, and her sister, Nellie Mitchum.

Ruth worked for Continental Oil Company for four years before the birth of her first son. Thereafter, she resided on the farm and kept busy raising her five children, ensuring that they were educated not only in their school studies, but also with activities including band, expression lessons, dance lessons, piano lessons, instrument lessons, gymnastics, dog training, school clubs, and anything else she felt would help her children succeed. She delivered eggs to clients throughout the county to pay for all those activities. She was involved in local Home Extension for many years, serving in leadership positions, making champion entries at the county and state fairs, and attending conferences. She coordinated many 4-H activities and was a favorite chaperone at 4-H Camp. She supported her Rotarian husband by being active in Rotary Anns, including serving as its President. She was active in St. Mary’s Catholic Church, serving as a Communion Minister and a member of St. Helena’s Guild, where she enjoyed playing cards, in particular “Pitch” with her fellow Guild members. She eagerly returned to school at Northern Oklahoma College and proudly earned an Associate Degree in 1977. She LOVED substitute teaching in the Ponca City School System for 18 years once her children had all graduated college, a goal she ensured happened for all five of her children.

Many will remember Ruth’s infectious laughter, strong work ethic, love of family and togetherness, sense of joy, warm smile and pleasant greetings, baking skills - including cookies, cinnamon rolls, cherry cheese pie, and angel food cake, atop her John Deere mower, her way of playing with the neighborhood children and her grandchildren - including “going downstairs” to her year round Christmas basement, swimming, petting kitties, and gardening - while teaching life lessons around her cherished home, her insistence to properly take care of things, her cooperative nature, her love of color, in particular all things RED, her love of jewelry and “nice” things, her sewing ability and love of well-made garments, her bread sack stash like many from the Great Depression era, and her strong belief in family, faith, leading by example, and letting actions speak for themselves. Most importantly, she was always up for a trip to Braums for an ice cream cone.

Friends and loved ones may pay their respects on Thursday, November 21 from 12-8pm and Friday, from 8am-5pm with a rosary and eulogy service will be held at 6 pm Friday, November 22nd at Trout Funeral Home. A formal Mass of Christian Burial to be held at 10 am Saturday, November 23rd at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Ponca City with a luncheon to follow in the parish hall.

Ruth will be laid to rest at 2:30 pm at St. Rose of Lima Catholic Cemetery in Perry, Oklahoma. Casket bearers will be Adam Steichen, Michael Steichen, Jason Steichen, Nathan Petrich, Victor Quezada, Jesus Garcia, and Donnie Lauver. Ruth's nephews from the Mildfelt and Steichen family will serve as honorary casket bearers. Arrangements are under the direction of Trout Funeral Home & Crematory.

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Ruth H. Steichen Memorial Scholarship at Northern Oklahoma College, P.O. Box 310, Tonkawa, OK 74653-0310.

Final Resting Place