Ruth V. Steen

February 17, 1917 - October 28, 2007

Memorial service for Ruth V. Steen, 90, who died peacefully at home October 28, 2007, will be 10 a.m. Saturday, November 3, at 1st United Methodist Church, 115 E. Howry Ave., DeLand. Mrs.

Steen was born in Philadelphia, PA in 1917. She received nurse's training at Presbyterian Hospital and served in the Army as a nurse in the South Pacific during World War II. She met and married her former husband, the late Bert Steen, at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii, immediately after the war. Ruth raised her four children throughout the world, as an Air Force wife, before settling in Melbourne in 1961. She moved to DeLand in 1995, after 20 years in Denver, CO.

She was devoted to the Methodist Church throughout her life, wherever she lived. She was a member of "Grandmothers for Peace" and traveled to the Soviet Union once and to the Middle East/Holy Land four times, with the "Grandmothers" and the United Methodist Women. She was a member of The Rocky Mountain Hiking Club of Denver and secretary of The Colorado Calligrapher's Guild. She was arrested three times in Nevada and Colorado for her opposition to nuclear proliferation.

In DeLand she shared her talents as a calligrapher with the DeLand Library, Florida Lutheran Retirement Center, First United Methodist Church, and her many friends. She was a gentle, loving soul who truly lived her life for others.

She is survived by her children, Brad Steen of El Rito, NM., Mac and Kathy Steen of DeLand, Janet and Dave Rothbard of Denver and Don and Robin Steen of Orlando and six grandchildren, Rusty, Katie, Eric, Carin, Kelli Brown Cogert and Rebecca Rothbard.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to Heifer Project International, 1 World Ave., Little Rock, AR 72202. http://www.heifer.org/myregistry/ruthsteen or Hospice of Volusia/Flagler, 3800 Woodbriar Trail, Port Orange, FL 32129. Please specify for West Volusia Care Center (http://www.halifaxhealth.org/hovf).

We invite you to szign the Guest Book maintained by the Daytona Beach News Journal.