Ruth Stephens Stevens

Ruth Hampden Stephens Stevens was born March 21, 1940, to John Logan and Viola Anderson Stephens at Hackley Hospital in Muskegon, MI, where Viola had been head surgical nurse prior to her marriage. Ruth passed away at the age of 77 in her home at Texas Star in Allen, TX on June 14, 2017, as a result of complications from multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, and cancer. Ruth grew up in western Michigan until the untimely death of her father in 1948. She and her mother and brother, John, then moved to her father's family home in Coffeyville, KS. In her youth, Ruth was a cellist, a horsewoman, and Captain of the Coffeyville High School cheerleaders, the Tornado Tillies. Upon her graduation from high school, she matriculated at the University of Michigan where she was a member of Alpha Omicron Pi. Due to a train strike over a holiday, Ruth could not return to Kansas, and instead went to visit family friends in Muskegon whose son was recently returned from Marine Corps service. Leigh Stevens was smitten with the beautiful co-ed he hadn't seen in ten years. Soon he was making the drive regularly to Ann Arbor to escort her to dances and football games. They married in 1960 in Ypsilanti and made Muskegon their home for the next 37 years, where their children Elizabeth (Beth) Ann and Paul Max were born. Ruth was tenacious in completing her college degree at Grand Valley State College. She served her community first as a Norton Shores Councilwoman, and later as Deputy County Clerk and Acting County Clerk. She was then elected to two terms as Muskegon County Clerk. She actively supported her children as a volunteer with the Muskegon "Y" Swim Team. For over 50 years she faithfully attended weekly church choir rehearsals and services, and fondly recalls several Oratorios under the direction of John L. Wheeler at First Congregational Church-Muskegon. At the time of her death, Ruth was the second longest serving Heritage Member of the Women's Division Chamber of Commerce in Muskegon, where she was a past-president. Ruth is preceded in death by her husband, C. Leigh Stevens II. She is survived by her daughter, Beth Hansen, and her husband, Mark (Fairview, TX); and by her son, Paul Stevens, and his wife, Cathy (Portland, MI); grandchildren Helen Ruth Hansen, Hannah Marie Hansen, and Nicholas Paul Stevens. She is also survived by her brother, John S. Stephens and his wife, Peg (Hutchinson, KS) and her nieces Ann Stephens Bush and Cathy Stephens and their families. The family will hold a private service at the chapel of First United Methodist Church-McKinney with inurnment following at a later date in Sun City, AZ. Heart to Heart Hospice has provided outstanding care to Ruth. The family also is indebted to Marilyn Snyder, Ruth's care manager in Sun City, AZ for several years. Ruth's successes in life were due in large part to her commitment to education. Memorials may be made to WDCC, Member Memorial Scholarship Fund, P.O. Box 1665, Muskegon, MI 49443; or to the Foundation for Lovejoy Schools, 259 Country Club Road, Allen, TX 75002. "Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen."

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