Obituaries Announcements
Add Announcement Printer Friendly Email to a Friend

Ruthanna Libel Crawford
Harmon-Rhode Funeral Home in Troy
Severance, KS

Ruthanna Libel Crawford, age 90, Severance, Kansas died Friday, April 15, 2016, at the Living Community of St. Joseph. 

Mass of Christian Burial will be at 10:30 AM on Wednesday, April 20, 2016 at St. Benedict’s Catholic Church, Bendena, Kansas, with Father Francis Bakyor as Celebrant. Burial will follow in St. Benedict’s Cemetery, Bendena. A parish Rosary will be recited at 6:30 PM on Tuesday, April 19, 2016, at St. Benedict’s Church with visitation to follow until 8 PM. Friends may call after 9 A.M. Tuesday. Harman Rohde Funeral Home of Troy is handling the arrangements. Memorial contributions are suggested to St. Benedict’s Church, Bendena, and may be sent in care of the funeral home. 
 
Ruthanna was born on August 19, 1925, on the family farm northwest of Bendena, the daughter of Martin A. and Hilda (Keimig) Boersting. She grew up near Bendena attending schools there prior to graduating from Bendena High School. She attended Mount St. Scholastica College, Atchison, Kansas and taught music in the grade schools of Bendena and Troy, Kansas. After her marriage, she taught private piano lessons in her home for twenty five years. 
 
Ruthanna was a long time member of St. Vincent’s Catholic Church, Severance, until its closing and was a former organist and president of its Altar Society. She became a member of St. Benedict’s Church, Bendena, and of the Women’s Council of the church. Ruthanna was a former member of the Parish Council there serving as secretary. She enjoyed travelling, visiting most of the states including Alaska and Hawaii, music and reading. 
 
She and Ferdie L. Libel, of Severance, were married on September 3, 1947, at St. Benedict’s Church, Bendena. He died on August 23, 1986. She later married Arden D. Crawford, of Odessa, MO, on April 29, 1989 at St. Benedict’s Church, continuing to live on the Libel family farm for 69 years. He preceded her in death on January 31, 2002. 
 
Survivors include her daughter and son-in-law, Marilyn A. (Libel) and William R. Young, Bendena, and several nieces and nephews. A brother, Martin W. Boersting, preceded her in death, as well as her parents and a step-daughter, Linda (Crawford) Cheek.