Ruth Weiler Stoltzfus

Ruth Weiler Stoltzfus died peacefully of natural causes during the early morning of September 05, 2025.

Born May 25, 1922, to Jacob and Mabel (Good) Weiler on the farm at the end of Best Road at Route 10 in Caernarvon Township, Lancaster County, she lived an independent and many faceted life. Her early years involved helping on the farm, going to market in Reading, helping her mother with peony cultivation and attending school at the one-room yellow schoolhouse on Best Road.

She graduated from Caernarvon High School in Morgantown under the guidance of Noah Good as principal. Her grandfather, I. B. Good, gave her a 1693 German Bible as a graduation present as she was the only family member to take German in school. Subsequently she took correspondence courses in business and obtained a position in the Wayne Martin Insurance Company (eventually Goodwill Mutual Insurance). Here, she met her future husband, Christian U. Stoltzfus (deceased) when he came to the office to have his license renewed to use dynamite in his quarry.

Chris and Ruth were married on June 15,1945 on the family farm. In the next three years, three children were born in the household in Willow Glenn (a.k.a. Goosetown): Neal (husband of Ila) Stoltzfus, Lorna (wife of Gary Lake) Stoltzfus and Sidney (husband of Janice) Stoltzfus.

When the children began school, Ruth began to help her husband, Chris, in his growing business, becoming the business office manager. Ruth took care of the financial and communication side of the business while her husband directed the manufacturing, development and patenting for C.U. Stoltzfus Mfg.

Ruth also directed the household management, teaching the children to sew, cook, plant and harvest a garden and read books checked out from the Reading Library. She also was a leader in the Elverson 4-H clubs.

Ruth had a love of genealogy, starting when her father asked her to get a camera to take photos of ancestral homesteads. This developed into a strong support for and contribution to the historical committee of the Conestoga Mennonite Church, where she was a lifelong member. Ruth was a member of the historical committee and helped gather materials and photographs for the congregational history authored by Lois Ann and Lamar Mast entitled “As Long as Wood Grows and Water Flows.”

Ruth also mimeographed the church bulletin during the 1950s, cutting the stencil on her Smith Corona typewriter. In addition, she wrote a column on Conestoga for the Mennonite Weekly Review.

Ruth delighted in getting people together: her family, her high school classmates and the extended family as it grew. There are five grandchildren: Nikolaus (Katherine) Stoltzfus, Thomas (deceased) Lake, Larisa (Paul Ratigan) Stoltzfus, Adam (Jennifer Payne) Lake, Zachary (Amanda) Stoltzfus and Alex (Katie Childs) Lake. There are also four great-grandchildren: John, Junia, Lydia and Elijah. Ruth was predeceased by four siblings: Warren Weiler, Ralph Weiler, Esther Overgaard and Mervin Weiler and by a grandchild, Thomas Lake.

Ruth and Chris retired to the Tel Hai Retirement Community, Honey Brook, PA in 1996. Chris passed away in the year 2000 but Ruth still worked part-time in the family business until age 92 and reluctantly gave up her driver’s license at 97.

She faithfully attended Conestoga Mennonite church until she was physically unable, sustaining her strong belief in her Christian faith.

Memorial gifts may be made to MEDA, the Mennonite Economic Development Association, at meda.org (mail: PO Box 1771, Lancaster, PA, USA

17608) or the Conestoga Mennonite Church (address below) for the support of the Historical Committee.

A Memorial Service will be held on Sunday, September 14, at 4:00 P.M. at the Conestoga Mennonite Church, 2779 Main St., Morgantown, PA 19543. The family will greet friends following the service. To send an online condolence to the family, visit www.GroffEckenroth.com Arrangements by the Groff High Funeral Home, New Holland, PA