Services will be held Saturday morning, September 1, 2018, at 10:00 a.m. at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in McCracken, Kansas, to celebrate the life of Catherine Arline Rues, who passed away at the age of 91 this August 28, 2018. Arline was born July 3, 1927, on the family farm she always referred to as the “Home Place”; near Fellsburg in Edwards County, Kansas.
Arline’s parents, Ernest (1887-1976) and Mary A. (Perkins) Ingraham (1886-1973) raised her along with her much older siblings Idris (Ingraham) Fell (1909-1987) and O. Wayne Ingraham (1921-1986). Arline knew at an early age that she wanted lots of children to love as she was often without the companionship of other children (her siblings were grown and gone much of her childhood). Her nearest friend was a mile away, and they often met in the middle, traipsing half a mile just to play with each other. Arline planned to have a life full of children when she became an adult, and she achieved just that–accomplishing her life’s dream from childhood.
Arline graduated from Lewis High School, Lewis, Kansas, in 1945 and obtained her bachelor’s degree in Music from Bethany College in Lindsborg, Kansas, in 1949.
She married Albert L. “Al” Rues on May 23, 1953, in the same church those who love her are gathering to remember her in. They were married nearly 26 years, raising six children, fulfilling that young dream she had. Arline was devoted to her family throughout her life. She is survived by her daughter, Alicia Rues, (b.1954) and her husband, Leigh Barrett, of Topeka, Kansas, daughter, Rosemary Diehl, (b. 1957) and her husband, Les, also of Topeka, son, Timothy Rues, (b.1958) of Lecompton, Kansas, son, Thomas Rues, (b.1960) of Concord, New Hampshire, daughter, Catherine Casey, (b. 1962) and her husband, Ron, of Topeka, and son, Anthony Rues, (b. 1963) and his wife, Tomi, of La Crosse, Kansas. She adored her grandchildren, Celeste (Barrett) Pavlich, Catherine, Alex, and John Casey, Madeline and Lily Rues, Shelby Bowers, and Emma, Kate, and William Rues and great granddaughter Alexis Pavlich.
Arline loved music, and from this love she found her vocation. She first began her teaching career in McCracken in 1949; Al began teaching in McCracken a year earlier in 1948. She taught hundreds of children music over the years, in small towns such as Marquette, Brownell, Ransom, Bazine, Pawnee Heights and Kinsley. She was a long-time member of Delta Kappa Gamma Society International, women educators. One can only imagine the exponential effect her love of music had when those students she taught imparted the same love of music to their children. She not only surrounded her life with children, she had a lasting and beautiful effect on them as well. Not many in life have such a clear and lovely life goal from childhood and then go about their life meeting that dream head-on in the manner that Arline did.
Arline’s talent in instrumental and vocal music even allowed her the honor of performing in New York City with the Bethany Oratorio Society at Carnegie Hall in 1997. Even at home, Arline was always willing to give an impromptu performance for family and friends—she loved playing her baby grand piano, maintaining her amazing skill even in her advanced years.
Arline had another special talent, one that made her well-known among the highway patrol who travelled the same roads she did while commuting all those years to teach. She had a bit of what specialists call a lead foot. Arline drove early in life, starting with wheat trucks when she was only 10, helping her dad get the crops to town. She actually drove for about 8 decades –all without one accident. The highway patrol must have had grudging respect for that even if they did liberally write her speeding tickets.
Arline knew no strangers and was one of those rare individuals who gave respect to all, regardless of station. She brightened in crowds, making those she spoke to feel important and cared for.
Arline and Al moved their family from McCracken, to Lewis, in 1976. Al had been transferred from the McCracken to the Kinsley, Kansas, post office a year before, allowing the family to be near Arline’s father and brother. Al tragically preceded her in death on March 23, 1979. Arline bravely finished raising her children, losing her husband way to soon in life. After retiring from teaching, she moved to Topeka in 1983 to operate a licensed home daycare center with her daughter Cathy until 2008 when she retired and moved back to McCracken, once again filling her life with children who were the fortunate recipients of her all-embracing kind nature. Again, she marked lives with love, leaving the world more ripples of goodness that extend out to this day.
Following the 10:00 a.m. church service, a tasty lunch and scrumptious dessert bar will be served at the McCracken city building. After lunch, at 4:00 p.m., a graveside burial service will follow at the 1879 Trotter Cemetery, a small country cemetery located in Edwards County, south of Lewis. Arline’s final resting place will be next to her husband, and near her mother and father and grandparents as well as her brother and sister-in-law, and many others of her Edwards County kith and kin.
Visitation will be Friday evening, August 31, 2018, from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. with a vigil service and rosary at 7:00 p.m. at the Janousek Funeral Home in La Crosse.
Church visitation will be Saturday morning, September 1, 2018, from 9:00 a.m. to 9:50 a.m. at St. Mary’s Catholic Church, McCracken.
In lieu of flowers or plants, the family encourages any memorials be given to the McCracken Public Library, in care of the funeral home.
Condolences or remembrances may be left for the family at www.charterfunerals.com/locations/janousek-lacrosse.php.
Arrangements were by Janousek Funeral Home, 719 Pine Street, P O Box 550, La Crosse, Kansas 67548, 785/222-2517.
