Ruth Lillian Balke, 84 of Falls City passed away on June 30, 2019.  She was born July 20, 1934, at Beatrice, Nebraska to the late Harm and Ahlke Helene (Cramer) Ewers.  She was raised on a farm in the rural Pickrell and Cortland area.  She was baptized, confirmed and married at Christ Lutheran Church northeast of Pickrell.   
    She married James Wiley Balke on October 8, 1954.  They made their home in Lincoln where Ruth worked at Russell Stover.  They then resided in Hastings, Pickrell, and Harbine until 1969, when they made their home in Dawson.  Ruth performed her calling from God as a Proverbs 31 woman, wife and mother and supporting Jim in all his business ventures.  James passed away on June 8, 1989, and Ruth then resided in Falls City.
    Ruth was a member of St. Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran Church at 20th & Towle Street in Falls City and a member of the VFW Auxiliary in Falls City.  
    Ruth is survived by her children, James K. (Donna Sue) Balke, Mary L. (Lowell) Eickhoff both of Falls City, Lori Balke of Beatrice and Steve Richardson, Shenandoah Iowa; grandchildren Shauna (Mark) Hundley of Hickman, Lacey (Regan) Campbell of Greenbrier, Arkansas, Carla (Clint) Kage of Tecumseh and James Eickhoff of Falls City, ten great-grandchildren, a sister Eunice (Louis) Oltmans and a brother-in-law Arnold Dorn both of Beatrice, sister-in-law Bonnie (Edwin) Roleder of Lincoln, brother-in-law Galen (Evelyn) Balke of Roca.  
    ?She was preceded in death by her husband, parents, and sisters Amelia (Harm) Gerdes, Bertha (Melvin) Harms, Ida (Paul) Lipps and Alma (Virgil Meints) Dorn. 
    Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday, July 3, 2019 at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, 20th & Towle Street, Falls City.   The burial will be at St. Matthew’s Cemetery in Johnson, Nebraska, at 2:30 p.m., after the funeral service and luncheon.  
Open visitation will begin on Tuesday, July 2 from 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the Hall Funeral Home, 2403 Harlan Street in Falls City.   The family requests memorials to family choice or St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, 20th & Towle Street, Falls City in lieu of flowers.