Maceyko
Linda Ruehrmund can be described by many words: intellectual, helpful, intuitive, innovative, particular, motivated, ambitious, talented and others; but, the three words that come to mind are community, philanthropy and love.
Those adjectives I listed spanned across her whole life and embodied her presence here on Earth. It goes back to her childhood and into her high school days. Graduating from Cardington High School in 1962, Linda was her class’ co-salutatorian. She was involved in an array of activities: Glee Club, National Honor Society, office secretary, a member of The Searchlight and the Pirateer, Latin Club; she was the Good Manners Award winner, the Arian Award winner in band for her flute-playing, and accompanied several small vocal groups with her piano-playing.
She went on to attend and graduate from Capital University in Bexley, Ohio, with her undergraduate degree in education. She would teach at Columbus City Schools for the entirety of her career. Linda’s vocation of education allowed for her to spread love to her students. She always saw the worth of each person’s impact and God-given potential in the classroom and the world.
I was the recipient of a rare honor to work with and for Linda on something she took the most pride in: her lawn and landscaping. It was 2013 when I first met Linda. Marilyn Davis had recommended to me that Linda may need an extra set of hands around the outside of her home. This working relationship lasted for 12 lawn care seasons. But, our friendship was a natural connection; she graduated from Cardington High School with my great uncle and aunt, Don and Sherry (Crum) Strohl. As the years waned on, this working relationship grew into a friendship. The chores evolved to not only pulling weeds, trimming bushes and trees, and picking up sticks to getting the opportunity to assist in maintaining her prized rose garden. There were many weeks where I was tasked with watering her over 30 rose bushes with the mix of water and fish fertilizer in order for buds to turn into beautiful blooms in the late summer. Another step-up was that for the last six years, I worked hand-in-hand with Linda in decorating her home for, what had to have been, her favorite holiday: Christmas. It was the joy of bringing down part of her collection of decorative angels from her upstairs, setting up light-up snowmen outside, the manger scene at the corner of the house, and the systematic way of stringing lights onto the Christmas tree which would don her front window for six weeks. The highlight of my holiday season would be an invite to play euchre on New Year’s Eve at her house. The conversations surrounding the topics of community affairs, current events, history, politics, and education were frequent at our weekly lawn care appointments.
As I circle back to the three words of community, philanthropy, and love, Linda put forth all effort to progress her community. Her involvement in the Cardington-Lincoln Alumni Association culminated in creating the first alumni directory in 2000 and a second edition in 2020 (she was inducted into the Cardington-Lincoln Alumni Hall of Fame in 2006). She was in leadership for the Chester Arbor Gleaners by leading impact activities and other initiatives. She was involved in the Morrow County Retired Teachers Association and served as an officer. Her bus trips for the Happy Wanderers were exquisite. Linda’s activism in Seniors on Center pushed for the passage of a levy that supports the majority of the organization’s budget. Linda’s impact will be felt for decades beyond her death on these organizations. Not only did she emphatically love her friends and family, but she enthusiastically loved her community and that extended past her town into her alma maters, county, and a love that did not have borders.
She was a thoughtful and welcoming presence to many. As she battled her cancer until the bitter end, may she now rest in peace.
Alberta Stojkovic, a correspondent for the Morrow County Sentinel, said, “Linda will be missed by so many of us Happy Wanderers who enjoyed the fellowship and fun of many trips around Ohio as well as trips out of state to the Sight and Sound Theatre in Pennsylvania, the Ark museum in Kentucky, and many more (Happy Wanderers was established by Ruehrmund in 1997). She began every trip with a devotion and pointed out the empty seat at the front of the bus, which she said was reserved for Jesus who she included on every trip. There was a sing-along session with almost every Happy Wanderer trip and always a meal at lunchtime. The group could always talk Linda into an ice cream stop on the way home. (I got to hear plenty of stories about ice cream!) Her gift for organization was matched with her kindness and welcoming spirit felt by every person on the Happy Wanderer trips as well as the bus drivers and those in the places we visited.”
