Ruth Merrihew Schallert

MADISON - Ruth Merrihew Schallert, age 96, of Madison, passed away peacefully on Monday, Oct. 6, 2014, at a Madison hospital, surrounded by loving family. Born in Oak Park, Ill., she was the daughter of Ernest Hiram Merrihew and Ruth Howland Merrihew. As a child, Ruth resided in Des Plaines and Hinsdale, Ill. She loved music and learned to play piano, mandolin, cornet and violin. A favorite childhood memory was escorting out-of-town visitors to the Chicago World's Fair throughout the summer of 1933. After graduating "with high honor" from Hinsdale Township High School in 1936, she attended Cornell College, then UW-Madison. She received a bachelor's degree in accounting, and began working for Arthur Anderson in Chicago. While at the UW, she met Sterling William Schallert, whom she married on Oct. 30, 1942, the day he was commissioned as a U.S. Naval officer. They moved to the West Coast until Sterling shipped out to the Pacific Theater in 1943. During the war, she and Sterling wrote each other daily. When Sterling returned from the Pacific, they lived for awhile in San Francisco, then moved to Madison to live permanently, where they raised four children. A longtime member of First Baptist Church, Ruth served as church secretary and bookkeeper for many years. She also did the books for Madison General Hospital Women's Auxiliary. Ruth was a wonderful wife and mother, and an accomplished homemaker. She sewed and knitted clothing for the entire family, and did embroidery, crocheting, and weaving. She was an avid reader, and loved doing jigsaw puzzles and crosswords. She loved nature, especially the UW-Madison Arboretum and Olbrich Botanical Gardens. She enjoyed watching wild birds at outdoor birdfeeders, and the family had many pet birds inside. Ruth and Sterling lived various places on the west side of Madison, including Commonwealth Avenue, near Henry Vilas Park, across from West High School, and adjacent to Vitense Golfland. In 2003, they moved to Oakwood Village East, where they celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary in October of 2012. Sterling passed away on Oct. 1, 2013. Ruth is survived by daughters, Mary (Ansis) Freimanis of Metairie, La., Nancy Schallert of Sun Prairie, and RuthAnn Schallert-Wygal of Chicago; son, William Sterling Schallert of Madison; four grandchildren, Romana (Tito) Autrey of Champaign, Ill., Michael (Joanne) Freimanis of Pearland, Texas, Heidi (William) Freimanis-Cordts of Boston, and Lila Schallert-Wygal of Brooklyn, N.Y.; great-grandchildren, Alyssa and Natalie Freimanis, and twins, Sterling and Adrien Autrey. She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband; her sister, Jeanne Lofgren; and her son-in-law, John Schallert-Wygal. A Memorial Service will be held on Saturday, Nov. 15, 2014, at 3 p.m. at FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH, 518 N. Franklin Ave., in Madison, with the Rev. Mark Clinger officiating. In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts can be made to First Baptist Church of Madison on behalf of the Piano Fund.