Ruth (Withrow) Bacon

Ruth Bacon passed away on July 3, 2023, at her residence in Upper Sandusky surrounded by her family and is now in the loving arms of her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Ruth was born to William and Jessie Walker Withrow on September 4, 1925, in Toledo, Ohio. Ruth was the youngest of the four Withrow children.

Ruth was a cheerleader for the Upper Sandusky Rams during high school and a lifeguard at the Harrison Smith Park.

After high school Ruth attended and graduated from Heidelberg College with a Bachelor of Arts in speech pathology. Ruth then moved to Cleveland and attended and graduated from Case Western Reserve with her Masters in speech pathology. For several years Ruth lived in Washington DC and was a professor at the University of Maryland. During her time in Maryland Ruth helped soldiers returning from WWIl with hearing and speech therapy at Walter Reed Army Hospital.

In 1951 Ruth moved home to Upper Sandusky and married the love her life, her high school sweetheart, a Sycamore boy named Forrest Bacon.

Forrest had returned from the war and began his legal practice with his brother-in-law Harold Roth. Ruth returned to Heidelberg but this time as a professor of speech and theater. For the next thirty years Ruth instructed, taught, counseled, and encouraged every student she encountered and, everyone she met.

Ruth was selected as Upper Sandusky Citizen of the Year and in response to the question as to the accomplishment of which she was the most proud, Ruth responded, "I married Forrest Bacon and we produced two wonderful children."

Ruth was instrumental in forming and organizing the Star kids program for the Star Theater in Upper Sandusky after her nephew Jeffrey Roth purchased the abandoned theater in the 1970's and began its reconstruction. Many children, grandchildren and great grandchildren of the Star Kids of Upper Sandusky now proudly continue to support this tradition.

Son David was born in 1952 and daughter Jennifer (Miller) Laursen was born in 1958. A son Alec Walker Bacon was born in 1955 and died in infancy.

Preceding Ruth in death were her parents, her wonderful husband Forrest, sisters Muriel Roth, Jessie Snyder, brother Murray Withrow, her son in law Jonathan Miller and grand daughter in law Anne Bacon.

Ruth is survived by her two children David Bacon (wife - Laura) and Jennifer (husband-Finn) Laursen, her seven grandchildren Alec (Michelle) Bacon, Katherine (Mark) Niederkohr, Jordan (Graham) Treadway, Jessica (Greg) Moon, Elizabeth (Josh) Smith, Lauren (Clint) Ritchey and Grace Miller and 18 great grandchildren.

A funeral service will be held at 11:00 AM on Thursday, July 13, at the First Presbyterian Church in Upper Sandusky and will be officiated by Rev. Ken Wessler.

Visitations will be held from 4:00 – 8:00 PM on Wednesday, July 12, at Lucas-Batton Funeral Home in Upper Sandusky, and 1 hour prior to the funeral service at the church on Thursday.

The family requests no flowers but rather donations to The Star Players, First Presbyterian Church of Upper Sandusky, and School Ministries Ohio, which may be sent to Lucas-Batton, 476 S. Sandusky Ave. Upper Sandusky, OH 43351.

Ruth was a gentle breeze for good during her lifetime and although she is now gone from this world to be with God, God's love- through Ruth's love of life, goodness, beauty and giving of herself continues to bear fruit in all those lives she touched and her spirit of goodness remains.

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