A Life Remembered…………
Ruth Ione Brockman was born July 27, 1919, to George and Marie Day, in Fort Dodge, Iowa.
She passed away on June 30, 2023, in her home at Wesley on Grand in Des Moines, Iowa, just shy of her 104th birthday.
Ruth grew up in Fort Dodge and graduated from Fort Dodge High School in 1937. She attended Iowa State Teachers College, Cedar Falls, graduating with the class of 1941.
Ruth began a teaching career at Avoca, Iowa, continuing at the elementary school there.
her marriage to Francis Brockman on August 29th, 1943.
The next day, they moved to Boston Massachusetts, where Francis attended Boston University School of Theology.
Ruth continued teaching 4th graders at Derby Academy in Hingham. Teaching children was Ruth's ministry.
After Francis graduated from Boston in 1946, he was appointed to Methodist churches in Iowa in the cities of Ireton, Schaller, Des Moines, and Creston, successively.
It was during this time that Ruth and Francis began a lifelong passion and adventure of restoring old houses, beginning with "The Cottage" near Lake Okoboji. It was built from the salvage of a structure from the Methodist Camp on Lake Okoboji and completed in 1952. They enjoyed many summers at the red painted cottage, not giving it up until after Francis' death in 1992.
In 1960 they moved to New York City where Francis began work with the United Methodist Committee on Relief. That work took him to many emerging nations in Asia and Africa.
While in New York City, Ruth worked her first year as a library clerk at the Inwood Branch of the New York Public Library, while she studied for and passed the test for a teaching license in New York.
She taught elementary grades for the next 11 years in Harlem and the Bronx.
During this time Ruth and Francis restored a colonial-era stone house in New Paltz, New York, and a three-story brownstone in New York City. It was during their time in New York, with access to many great auction houses, that they developed a great love for antiques and art. They also travelled together, to Egypt, the Holy Land, and in Europe.
The Brockman's returned to Iowa in the mid-1970s. They came back to Des Moines and purchased a once-grand 1883 Victorian residence on Center Street in the Sherman Hill neighborhood and started the years long work of restoring it.
Their work was interrupted in 1980, when Francis was asked to serve as pastor at St. Luke's in Dubuque, the oldest Methodist congregation in Iowa. The Brockman's resided in Dubuque for several years and could not pass up the opportunity to take on another house project, restoring a rowhouse dating from 1857.
Francis retired from the ministry in the mid-1980's, at which time Ruth and Francis returned to Des Moines. They continued to restore their home on Center Street, as well as two "little farmhouse style" homes on 17th Street.
Ruth and Francis were part of the first group of urban pioneers who helped establish the Sherman Hill Association and the Sherman Hill Historic District. But they will best be remembered by many as leaders of the "old house restoration group", and a welcoming and inspiring presence for new residents arriving in the 1980s.
Francis passed away in 1992, not long after they completed the restoration of their home on Center Street. Their last task was restoring the tall wrap-around porches, working from old photos and engravings.
Ruth sold her Sherman Hill home in 1995 and moved into the senior living community at Wesley Acres, to reside together with her mother, Marie Day, who had lived with the Brockman's on Center Street. There Ruth helped care for her mother until her passing in 1997 at age 101.
Ruth resided at Wesley for 28 years. During her years there she lived in several units, eventually transitioning from a two-bedroom apartment to a one-room assisted living unit. She had to shed belongings with every move but managed to hold on to a few objects collected over the years, including a small walnut bed she had first slept in as a child. In this way she re-made every Wesley unit she resided in into a familiar home-place. At Wesley she maintained correspondence with family and many friends, and travelled for visits while still able, including a last trip to New York City in 2004. And she continued to make new friendships with residents and staff at Wesley.
She will be remembered for her kindness, laughter, stories, desire to stay engaged in news and world events, and eagerness to learn and experience new things.
She was an active member at First United Methodist Church.
A gathering to celebrate Ruth's life is planned for Saturday, July 8, 2023, from 1:00-3:00pm in the auditorium at Wesley on Grand, 3520 Grand Ave, Des Moines IA 50312. At 2:00pm those present will be invited to share a memory or story.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Wesley Acres Good Samaritan Fund, 3520 Grand Ave, Des Moines IA 50312, First United Methodist Church, 1001 Pleasant St, Des Moines IA 50309, or the Sherman Hill
Association Memorial Fund, 1620 Pleasant St. Ste. 105, Des Moines IA 50314.
ARRANGEMENTS BY ILES DUNNS CHAPEL
Ruth Ione Brockman was born July 27, 1919, to George and Marie Day, in Fort Dodge, Iowa.
She passed away on June 30, 2023, in her home at Wesley on Grand in Des Moines, Iowa, just shy of her 104th birthday.
Ruth grew up in Fort Dodge and graduated from Fort Dodge High School in 1937. She attended Iowa State Teachers College, Cedar Falls, graduating with the class of 1941.
Ruth began a teaching career at Avoca, Iowa, continuing at the elementary school there.
her marriage to Francis Brockman on August 29th, 1943.
The next day, they moved to Boston Massachusetts, where Francis attended Boston University School of Theology.
Ruth continued teaching 4th graders at Derby Academy in Hingham. Teaching children was Ruth's ministry.
After Francis graduated from Boston in 1946, he was appointed to Methodist churches in Iowa in the cities of Ireton, Schaller, Des Moines, and Creston, successively.
It was during this time that Ruth and Francis began a lifelong passion and adventure of restoring old houses, beginning with "The Cottage" near Lake Okoboji. It was built from the salvage of a structure from the Methodist Camp on Lake Okoboji and completed in 1952. They enjoyed many summers at the red painted cottage, not giving it up until after Francis' death in 1992.
In 1960 they moved to New York City where Francis began work with the United Methodist Committee on Relief. That work took him to many emerging nations in Asia and Africa.
While in New York City, Ruth worked her first year as a library clerk at the Inwood Branch of the New York Public Library, while she studied for and passed the test for a teaching license in New York.
She taught elementary grades for the next 11 years in Harlem and the Bronx.
During this time Ruth and Francis restored a colonial-era stone house in New Paltz, New York, and a three-story brownstone in New York City. It was during their time in New York, with access to many great auction houses, that they developed a great love for antiques and art. They also travelled together, to Egypt, the Holy Land, and in Europe.
The Brockman's returned to Iowa in the mid-1970s. They came back to Des Moines and purchased a once-grand 1883 Victorian residence on Center Street in the Sherman Hill neighborhood and started the years long work of restoring it.
Their work was interrupted in 1980, when Francis was asked to serve as pastor at St. Luke's in Dubuque, the oldest Methodist congregation in Iowa. The Brockman's resided in Dubuque for several years and could not pass up the opportunity to take on another house project, restoring a rowhouse dating from 1857.
Francis retired from the ministry in the mid-1980's, at which time Ruth and Francis returned to Des Moines. They continued to restore their home on Center Street, as well as two "little farmhouse style" homes on 17th Street.
Ruth and Francis were part of the first group of urban pioneers who helped establish the Sherman Hill Association and the Sherman Hill Historic District. But they will best be remembered by many as leaders of the "old house restoration group", and a welcoming and inspiring presence for new residents arriving in the 1980s.
Francis passed away in 1992, not long after they completed the restoration of their home on Center Street. Their last task was restoring the tall wrap-around porches, working from old photos and engravings.
Ruth sold her Sherman Hill home in 1995 and moved into the senior living community at Wesley Acres, to reside together with her mother, Marie Day, who had lived with the Brockman's on Center Street. There Ruth helped care for her mother until her passing in 1997 at age 101.
Ruth resided at Wesley for 28 years. During her years there she lived in several units, eventually transitioning from a two-bedroom apartment to a one-room assisted living unit. She had to shed belongings with every move but managed to hold on to a few objects collected over the years, including a small walnut bed she had first slept in as a child. In this way she re-made every Wesley unit she resided in into a familiar home-place. At Wesley she maintained correspondence with family and many friends, and travelled for visits while still able, including a last trip to New York City in 2004. And she continued to make new friendships with residents and staff at Wesley.
She will be remembered for her kindness, laughter, stories, desire to stay engaged in news and world events, and eagerness to learn and experience new things.
She was an active member at First United Methodist Church.
A gathering to celebrate Ruth's life is planned for Saturday, July 8, 2023, from 1:00-3:00pm in the auditorium at Wesley on Grand, 3520 Grand Ave, Des Moines IA 50312. At 2:00pm those present will be invited to share a memory or story.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Wesley Acres Good Samaritan Fund, 3520 Grand Ave, Des Moines IA 50312, First United Methodist Church, 1001 Pleasant St, Des Moines IA 50309, or the Sherman Hill
Association Memorial Fund, 1620 Pleasant St. Ste. 105, Des Moines IA 50314.
ARRANGEMENTS BY ILES DUNNS CHAPEL
A Life Remembered…………
Ruth Ione Brockman was born July 27, 1919, to George and Marie Day, in Fort Dodge, Iowa.
She passed away on June 30, 2023, in her home at Wesley on Grand in Des Moines, Iowa, just shy of her 104th birthday.
Ruth grew up in Fort Dodge and graduated from Fort Dodge High School in 1937. She attended Iowa State Teachers College, Cedar Falls, graduating with the class of 1941.
Ruth began a teaching career at Avoca, Iowa, continuing at the elementary school there.
her marriage to Francis Brockman on August 29th, 1943.
The next day, they moved to Boston Massachusetts, where Francis attended Boston University School of Theology.
Ruth continued teaching 4th graders at Derby Academy in Hingham. Teaching children was Ruth's ministry.
After Francis graduated from Boston in 1946, he was appointed to Methodist churches in Iowa in the cities of Ireton, Schaller, Des Moines, and Creston, successively.
It was during this time that Ruth and Francis began a lifelong passion and adventure of restoring old houses, beginning with "The Cottage" near Lake Okoboji. It was built from the salvage of a structure from the Methodist Camp on Lake Okoboji and completed in 1952. They enjoyed many summers at the red painted cottage, not giving it up until after Francis' death in 1992.
In 1960 they moved to New York City where Francis began work with the United Methodist Committee on Relief. That work took him to many emerging nations in Asia and Africa.
While in New York City, Ruth worked her first year as a library clerk at the Inwood Branch of the New York Public Library, while she studied for and passed the test for a teaching license in New York.
She taught elementary grades for the next 11 years in Harlem and the Bronx.
During this time Ruth and Francis restored a colonial-era stone house in New Paltz, New York, and a three-story brownstone in New York City. It was during their time in New York, with access to many great auction houses, that they developed a great love for antiques and art. They also travelled together, to Egypt, the Holy Land, and in Europe.
The Brockman's returned to Iowa in the mid-1970s. They came back to Des Moines and purchased a once-grand 1883 Victorian residence on Center Street in the Sherman Hill neighborhood and started the years long work of restoring it.
Their work was interrupted in 1980, when Francis was asked to serve as pastor at St. Luke's in Dubuque, the oldest Methodist congregation in Iowa. The Brockman's resided in Dubuque for several years and could not pass up the opportunity to take on another house project, restoring a rowhouse dating from 1857.
Francis retired from the ministry in the mid-1980's, at which time Ruth and Francis returned to Des Moines. They continued to restore their home on Center Street, as well as two "little farmhouse style" homes on 17th Street.
Ruth and Francis were part of the first group of urban pioneers who helped establish the Sherman Hill Association and the Sherman Hill Historic District. But they will best be remembered by many as leaders of the "old house restoration group", and a welcoming and inspiring presence for new residents arriving in the 1980s.
Francis passed away in 1992, not long after they completed the restoration of their home on Center Street. Their last task was restoring the tall wrap-around porches, working from old photos and engravings.
Ruth sold her Sherman Hill home in 1995 and moved into the senior living community at Wesley Acres, to reside together with her mother, Marie Day, who had lived with the Brockman's on Center Street. There Ruth helped care for her mother until her passing in 1997 at age 101.
Ruth resided at Wesley for 28 years. During her years there she lived in several units, eventually transitioning from a two-bedroom apartment to a one-room assisted living unit. She had to shed belongings with every move but managed to hold on to a few objects collected over the years, including a small walnut bed she had first slept in as a child. In this way she re-made every Wesley unit she resided in into a familiar home-place. At Wesley she maintained correspondence with family and many friends, and travelled for visits while still able, including a last trip to New York City in 2004. And she continued to make new friendships with residents and staff at Wesley.
She will be remembered for her kindness, laughter, stories, desire to stay engaged in news and world events, and eagerness to learn and experience new things.
She was an active member at First United Methodist Church.
A gathering to celebrate Ruth's life is planned for Saturday, July 8, 2023, from 1:00-3:00pm in the auditorium at Wesley on Grand, 3520 Grand Ave, Des Moines IA 50312. At 2:00pm those present will be invited to share a memory or story.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Wesley Acres Good Samaritan Fund, 3520 Grand Ave, Des Moines IA 50312, First United Methodist Church, 1001 Pleasant St, Des Moines IA 50309, or the Sherman Hill
Association Memorial Fund, 1620 Pleasant St. Ste. 105, Des Moines IA 50314.
ARRANGEMENTS BY ILES DUNNS CHAPEL
Ruth Ione Brockman was born July 27, 1919, to George and Marie Day, in Fort Dodge, Iowa.
She passed away on June 30, 2023, in her home at Wesley on Grand in Des Moines, Iowa, just shy of her 104th birthday.
Ruth grew up in Fort Dodge and graduated from Fort Dodge High School in 1937. She attended Iowa State Teachers College, Cedar Falls, graduating with the class of 1941.
Ruth began a teaching career at Avoca, Iowa, continuing at the elementary school there.
her marriage to Francis Brockman on August 29th, 1943.
The next day, they moved to Boston Massachusetts, where Francis attended Boston University School of Theology.
Ruth continued teaching 4th graders at Derby Academy in Hingham. Teaching children was Ruth's ministry.
After Francis graduated from Boston in 1946, he was appointed to Methodist churches in Iowa in the cities of Ireton, Schaller, Des Moines, and Creston, successively.
It was during this time that Ruth and Francis began a lifelong passion and adventure of restoring old houses, beginning with "The Cottage" near Lake Okoboji. It was built from the salvage of a structure from the Methodist Camp on Lake Okoboji and completed in 1952. They enjoyed many summers at the red painted cottage, not giving it up until after Francis' death in 1992.
In 1960 they moved to New York City where Francis began work with the United Methodist Committee on Relief. That work took him to many emerging nations in Asia and Africa.
While in New York City, Ruth worked her first year as a library clerk at the Inwood Branch of the New York Public Library, while she studied for and passed the test for a teaching license in New York.
She taught elementary grades for the next 11 years in Harlem and the Bronx.
During this time Ruth and Francis restored a colonial-era stone house in New Paltz, New York, and a three-story brownstone in New York City. It was during their time in New York, with access to many great auction houses, that they developed a great love for antiques and art. They also travelled together, to Egypt, the Holy Land, and in Europe.
The Brockman's returned to Iowa in the mid-1970s. They came back to Des Moines and purchased a once-grand 1883 Victorian residence on Center Street in the Sherman Hill neighborhood and started the years long work of restoring it.
Their work was interrupted in 1980, when Francis was asked to serve as pastor at St. Luke's in Dubuque, the oldest Methodist congregation in Iowa. The Brockman's resided in Dubuque for several years and could not pass up the opportunity to take on another house project, restoring a rowhouse dating from 1857.
Francis retired from the ministry in the mid-1980's, at which time Ruth and Francis returned to Des Moines. They continued to restore their home on Center Street, as well as two "little farmhouse style" homes on 17th Street.
Ruth and Francis were part of the first group of urban pioneers who helped establish the Sherman Hill Association and the Sherman Hill Historic District. But they will best be remembered by many as leaders of the "old house restoration group", and a welcoming and inspiring presence for new residents arriving in the 1980s.
Francis passed away in 1992, not long after they completed the restoration of their home on Center Street. Their last task was restoring the tall wrap-around porches, working from old photos and engravings.
Ruth sold her Sherman Hill home in 1995 and moved into the senior living community at Wesley Acres, to reside together with her mother, Marie Day, who had lived with the Brockman's on Center Street. There Ruth helped care for her mother until her passing in 1997 at age 101.
Ruth resided at Wesley for 28 years. During her years there she lived in several units, eventually transitioning from a two-bedroom apartment to a one-room assisted living unit. She had to shed belongings with every move but managed to hold on to a few objects collected over the years, including a small walnut bed she had first slept in as a child. In this way she re-made every Wesley unit she resided in into a familiar home-place. At Wesley she maintained correspondence with family and many friends, and travelled for visits while still able, including a last trip to New York City in 2004. And she continued to make new friendships with residents and staff at Wesley.
She will be remembered for her kindness, laughter, stories, desire to stay engaged in news and world events, and eagerness to learn and experience new things.
She was an active member at First United Methodist Church.
A gathering to celebrate Ruth's life is planned for Saturday, July 8, 2023, from 1:00-3:00pm in the auditorium at Wesley on Grand, 3520 Grand Ave, Des Moines IA 50312. At 2:00pm those present will be invited to share a memory or story.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Wesley Acres Good Samaritan Fund, 3520 Grand Ave, Des Moines IA 50312, First United Methodist Church, 1001 Pleasant St, Des Moines IA 50309, or the Sherman Hill
Association Memorial Fund, 1620 Pleasant St. Ste. 105, Des Moines IA 50314.
ARRANGEMENTS BY ILES DUNNS CHAPEL
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