RUTH FREED (BARKER)

Adjust Text Size: A+ A-

RUTH FREED (nee BARKER) 1914 - 2006 Grandmother and Mother, Ruth Freed passed away peacefully at age 91 at Middlechurch Home in Winnipeg on February 11, 2006. A private funeral was held on February 13, 2006 at the Rosh Pina Memorial Park. Daughter of the late Gertrude Southworth Barker (b. Winnipeg 1889), Ruth was predeceased by her husband Benjamin Freed in 1996, and her brother Bill in Calgary. She leaves her daughter Linda; her son Mark (Daryl); and her grandchildren Lauren (Brett Rossmann) and Leezann to cherish her memory. Known by all for her pleasant, thoughtful demeanour, Ruth was a dignified and intelligent woman. Her early years were lean, as she grew up in the rooming-house on Lenore Street run by her single-parent working mother and grandmother. In adulthood as a wife and parent, she had little desire for material things beyond the lifestyle she and Benjamin provided for their family. Hers was a love for her husband, children and two grandchildren (who both remember her spirit of fun and imagination very fondly). She immersed herself in books and music, good conversation, long walks with the dog, and in working for the betterment of the community. Ruth was a lifetime member of Winnipeg Women's ORT, where she volunteered for many years and developed friendships with numerous wonderful women and men devoted to the cause of vocational training for Jewish students around the world. She also spent long happy hours as a volunteer at the Winnipeg Art Gallery, and at the Health Sciences Centre. The family extends sincere thanks to the many staff and volunteers at the Middlechurch Home of Winnipeg, who provided excellent, friendly care to our mother in her final years. Donations in her name may be sent to the Jewish Foundation of Manitoba, C400-123 Doncaster St., Winnipeg MB, R3N 2B2.

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Feb 18, 2006