Florine Evangeline Ruskaup

Florine Evangeline Ruskaup, 88, passed away Saturday morning, April 21, 2012, at Van Wert County Hospital in Van Wert.

She was born January 11, 1924, in Van Wert, the daughter of the late Erastus and Cora Belle Jenkins. On October 2, 1939, in a dark green dress from J.C. Penney, she married William “Rusty” Ruskaup. It was her very first new dress.  Rusty and Florine met at Middle Point Quarry, when he was working with the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC). They were wed in Covington, Ky., with a signed note from her parents. Rusty died March 3, 2002, after they celebrated 62 happy years together.

She leaves a wonderful family: her children Mike (Linda) Ruskaup of Naples, Fla., Timothy (Sandra) Ruskaup of Antwerp, Rebecca (Jack) Woodruff of Van Wert, and Nannette (Steve) Ingle of Fort Wayne, Ind.; her grandchildren, Bradley (Lori) Ruskaup of Boynton Beach, Fla., Tracey Reiss of Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., Craig (Chris) Ruskaup of Leo, Ind., Nicole (Greg) Meyer of Decatur, Ind., and Rachel (Dewey) VanWynsberghe of Van Wert; and her great grandchildren, Jessica Ruskaup of Lake Worth, Fla., and Emma and Ellee Ruskaup, Una & Siska VanWynsberghe, and Derek & Alex Meyer. She has five cherished sisters, Velma Geisman, Jody Tindall, Helen Eberle, Betty Lewis, and Alberta (Harold) Welker.

Florine was preceded in death by her dear brothers, Albert Anderson, Roger Jenkins, Bob Jenkins, Carroll Jenkins, and two infant brothers, Leo and Russell Jenkins; one infant sister, Jessie Jenkins; and by her oldest son, Donald Ruskaup, and two of his children, Kevin and Kelley Leigh Ruskaup.

Florine was known for her pies. She baked an ovenful each time, with flour ground by Rusty in their gristmill. They took pleasure in many years of camping at France Park in Logansport, Ind., in their Avion trailer. She was also well known for her cackling laugh and hair in pin curls. Florine was a member of the Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses since 1953.

Memorial services will be conducted at 11 a.m. Friday, April 27, at Brickner Funeral Home in Van Wert, with Don Brunner officiating.

Calling hours are from 3-8 p.m. Thursday, April 26, and an hour prior to services Friday at the funeral home.

Messages of condolence may be sent to www.bricknerfuneralhome.com or bricknerfuneralhome@bright.net.

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