Ruth Moreen Howard, age 93, passed away on Friday, Sept. 6, 2013, at Pines Assisted Living in Prairie du Sac, WI.



She was born to Frank and Mable (Barnett) Williams in Greenup, IL, on Nov. 7, 1919. She attended Eastern Illinois Teachers College in Charleston, graduating with a Bachelor's degree in Education. She taught high school English and Latin, directed school plays, coached forensics, and directed the girls' glee club.



Ruth married James Arlin Howard on June 27, 1947. They lived in central Illinois until1959 when they moved to Madison, WI. In 1964, Ruth and Jim founded Professional Products and Services, Inc., which produced custom-formulated animal feed products, selling to customers throughout the Midwest. Ruth returned to school to study accounting and became the Company's Chief Financial Officer. Eventually, the business took Ruth and Jim to the Sauk Prairie area.



Ruth was an avid gardener and a long-time member of the Sauk Prairie Garden Club. She loved watching and identifying birds. She was a sports fan who rarely missed watching a Brewer or Packer game. Ruth was a natural musician and played piano by ear. After her retirement, she volunteered for many organizations including the Sauk Prairie Memorial Hospital, Sauk County Commission on Aging, Lifeline and Home Health United Hospice. She and Jim traveled widely throughout the United States and internationally.



Most important to Ruth was the way she related to her family, friends and the world. Through quiet perseverance and determination Ruth demonstrated her commitment to social justice, fairness, equality and progressive politics. She believed in one's responsibility to live life fully with kindness, respect and without judgment. This approach to life garnered Ruth friends and affection throughout her life. Ruth and Jim shared their interests and these values with their children, giving them the foundation for living an ethical and enjoyable life.



Ruth was predeceased by Jim on Sept. 4, 2012, after 65 wonderful years together. They had three children, Judith Howard (Amy Scarr) of Madison, Janet Johnson (Daniel) of Madison, Joe (Teri Reams) of Prairie du Sac; and grandchildren, Katia Salyards (Tracy Brown) of Milwaukee, Matt Howard (Rene Weigel) of Madison, and Jennifer Lynch (Christopher) of Columbus. Ruth was also predeceased by her parents and her brother, Ralph.



A Celebration of Life will be held on Sunday, Sept, 29, 2013, at the Lake Wisconsin Country Club, N1076 Golf Rd., Prairie du Sac, WI, from 1 to 4 PM, with a sharing of memories at 3 PM.



In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Ruth's name to American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Wisconsin Foundation, for voting rights work, 207 E. Buffalo St., Suite 325, Milwaukee, WI 53202, or online at https://aclu-wi.org/support-us/donate; Sauk Prairie Literacy Council, in care of Ruth Culver Community Library, 540 Water St., Prairie du Sac, WI 53583; or Sauk Prairie Memorial Hospital Foundation, 80 First St., Prairie du Sac, WI 53583.



The family thanks Pines Assisted Living staff and residents for their kindness, support and loving, competent care of Ruth and our family. The Pines contributed significantly to Ruth's quality of life in the year after Jim's death.



After Jim died, Ruth hung a plaque outside her room that she pointed to often as the way she was living now. "We cannot direct the wind, but we can adjust our sails." Her family is striving to follow in her footsteps.