Naomi Rutschman

Naomi Noreen (Unruh) Rutschman (96) passed away peacefully on Tuesday, October 7, at Schowalter Villa, Hesston, Kansas. She lived a life filled with kindness and selfless generosity. Naomi Noreen Unruh was born February 16, 1929, in Larned, Kansas, to Ida (Wedel) and Lincoln H. Unruh. They moved to a farm by Galva, Kansas, in 1930, and Naomi grew up there, the 2nd of 8 children. The family regularly attended Emmanuel Mennonite Church, rural Galva, and Naomi accepted Jesus as her Savior and was baptized there as a teenager. After she was married, she was an active member of Garden Mennonite Church, Moundridge, Kansas. Naomi attended Galva Grade School and High School and one year at Tabor College, Hillsboro, Kansas. For a year she worked as a nurse aide at McPherson Hospital. She then studied for three years at Bethel College and Bethel Deaconess Hospital School of Nursing in North Newton, Kansas. For two years Naomi worked in Newton for a doctor. The summer months of 1954, Naomi volunteered at Camp Paivika in California helping handicapped children enjoy summer camp. The next seven months, she went to live in Portland, Maine, and worked at Maine General Hospital. Following that, she volunteered a year and a half at a church related mental hospital, Brook Lane Hospital, near Hagerstown, Maryland. Returning to Kansas, she took a year to get her BSN degree at Bethel College. The next 40 years, Naomi worked first at Bethel Deaconess Hospital in Newton, Kansas, as the supervisor on the surgical unit until the hospital merged with Axtell Christian Hospital to form Newton Medical Center. There she switched departments and worked in the emergency room until she retired in 1999. During those years of nursing, she enjoyed being a part of the American Heart Association, American Cancer Society, and the local, state, and national American Nurses Association. August 11, 1970, Naomi married Orville Rutschman. They celebrated 45 years of meaningful marriage, sharing many joys in life, and very little discord. Living on a farm west of Hesston, they raised a few cows and calves, chickens, guineas, and crops of grain and hay. They shared a love for God's creation and tenderly cared for it. Naomi showed interest in her nieces and nephews and did many special things with them: pasture hikes, passing on newspaper articles she thought would be of interest, supporting mission trips, and sharing family history books she spent many hours helping to research, copy, and put together with her sister Viola. A reflection of her dedicated nursing profession, Naomi diligently followed a strict low-fat diet for eight years as a participant in a breast cancer research study. She learned about stretch band and balance exercises, and then led an exercise group at the Hesston Senior Center for 23 years. For 25 years, she also ran in the Emma Creek classic race, usually getting 1st, 2nd, or 3rd place in her age group. In her retirement, she also volunteered at Health Ministries and the Kauffman Museum in Newton, the Hesston Area Senior Center, and the Dyck Arboretum of Hesston. Naomi was a life-long learner; reading articles, books, going to lectures about various topics, and attending Bible studies. In addition to exercising, her hobbies included: reading, photography, gardening, listening to music, and painting. Preceding her in death were her parents and husband, siblings: Viola Koehn, Esther Huebert, and James Unruh, and niece Darla Busenitz. Surviving members of her family include siblings: Lois Stolifer of Moundridge, Paul (Lois Jean) Unruh of Newton, Gordon (Mary) Unruh of Inman, and Loren (Lyn) Unruh of Newton; 20 nieces and nephews; many great and great-great nieces and nephews; and many friends from all avenues of her life. Visitation will be from 5-8 p.m., Friday, October 24, at the Miller-Ott Funeral Home, 107 S. Lancaster, Hesston, Kansas. Saturday, October 25, a graveside service will be held at 9:45 am at the Garden Community Church cemetery, rural Moundridge. A memorial service will follow at the Garden Community Church at 10:30 am. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Mennonite Disaster Service (MDS) or the Hesston Area Senior Center, in care of Miller-Ott Funeral Home, P.O. Box 32, Hesston, KS, 67062.

Naomi Rutschman

February 16, 1929 - October 7, 2025