Ruth Madeline Carr

Munising

          Ruth M. Carr of Munising, died peacefully in her sleep at the age of 102 early in the morning of Tuesday, November 28, 2023.   She was born on October 16, 1921 in Munising, Michigan to William and Elizabeth (Hebert) LaFave.   Ruth graduated from Sacred Heart School and is the last surviving member of the Wm. G. Mather Class of 1939.  She briefly worked at Kimberly Clark and then Ruth served in the Women’s Army Corps as a medical technician during WWII.  She was proud of her service and the care she gave to the wounded soldiers on American soil at O’Reilly General Hospital in Missouri.    Ruth returned to Munising and married John Carr in 1947 and together they raised their family.   She was a lifetime member of Sacred Heart Church.

She was a very busy homemaker and enjoyed baking, pickling and gardening.  Ruth had a great love for the outdoors and enjoyed hunting, fishing and especially berry picking. She once picked all around a patch of berries with a wasp's nest in the center!  On hot summer afternoons, she could be found walking to the beach at Bay Furnace with a string of neighborhood children in tow. Ruth loved the UP, and one of her favorite activities was driving around the county and exploring the woods with her husband, John, and later her children.  She took good care of her health, and loved to walk.  Until her mobility declined, she visited the beaches and boardwalks of Alger County frequently, often in the company of a close friend.    Ruth enjoyed playing games and cards with family and friends and continued to beat her opponents in cribbage up until her death. 

          She is survived by her children – Susan (Lee) Rosenbaum of Portland, OR, John (Trina) Carr of Christmas, MI, and Lori (Ken) Mitchell of Forest Grove, OR; grandchildren – Rachel Rosenbaum (Dominic Brown), David Rosenbaum, and Arthur (Paola) Oas; sister-in-law – Norma LaFave; and numerous nieces and nephews.   Ruth was preceded in death by her parents, husband John Carr in 1977, infant daughter Mary Ruth Carr in 1954, and siblings – Derilda Tussing, Exilda Theaker, Dorothy Swajanen, Jean Paananen, infant twins, Robert “Mogie”, Lawrence “Stowe”, Ernie “Shorty”, and Jack LaFave: Parents-in-law - Louis and Francis Carr, In-laws – Lud (Helen) Carr, Louie (Vera) Carr, Frank (Irma) Carr, Josephine (Warren) Petterson, Mary Carr, Sylvia (Bob) Bartol and Antonia Carr.

          A Memorial Mass will be celebrated by Father Michael Ocran on Thursday, December 7, 2023 at 10:00 a.m. at Sacred Heart Church in Munising.   Interment will be in 2024 at the Maple Grove Cemetery where the Alger County Veterans Honor Guard will render military honors for Alger County’s oldest veteran.