Ruth Deckert died July 20, 2008 at the family home. She was born Ruth Madelynn Maxwell on September 28, 1922 at Fort Collins, Colorado, daughter of Ethie Stockon and Ray Victor Maxwell. She was a graduate of Cache La Poudre High School, LaPorte, Colorado. On December 10, 1944 she married Bennie Deckert and they moved to Kansas soon after where she was a homemaker, farm wife, and artist for the remainder of her life. She was baptized in June 1938 into the Community Presbyterian Church of LaPorte, Colorado. She transferred her membership to the Bergthal Mennonite Church in June of 1947. There she served as Sunday School teacher, C. E. Sponsor, Librarian, Correspondent to the Mennonite Weekly Review, Church Statistician, Church Chairman and on many other committees, especially in the Mission Workers. Ruth took numerous art classes and taught art students ages 7 to 90 in her home for over 15 years, She was asked to exhibit her works in 7 art shows. She was also interested in photographing wild flowers and presented slide shows in the area. She was awarded the Wildflower Patch by the State of Kansas Wildflower Society. She also compiled 9 volumes of family genealogy and church history as well as documenting wildlife found on the family farm and in the Pawnee Rock area. Ruth is survivied by her children: Easther Sayler and husband, Arthur, of Albert, Kansas and Warren Deckert and wife, Denise, of Pawnee Rock; by grandchildren: Andrea Siefkes and husband, Jon, of Hudson, Max Sayler of Manhattan, Kansas, Amber Benham of Brooklin, New York and Zachary Benham and wife, Shiho Kitagawa Benham; great-grandchild, August Siefkes of Hudson, Kansas; siblings Russell Maxwell and wife, Mae, of Albuquerque, New Mexico, Floyd Maxwell and wife, Ethel, of Ft. Collins, Colorado and Roine Schmidt and husband, Lloyd, of LaPorte, Colorado. She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, infant sister, and her brother Lloyd Maxwell. Funeral service will be Wednesday, July 23, 2008 at 10:00 a.m. at Bryant Funeral Home with Pastor Lynn Schlosser presiding. Interment will be in the Bergthal Mennonite Church Cemetery, rural Pawnee Rock, Kansas. Visitation will be Tuesday, July 22, 2008 from 1:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. with the family receiving friends from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at Bryant Funeral Home. Memorials may sent to The Breast Cancer Research Foundation in care of the funeral home.