Obituary of Ruth Rose Many

Ruth Rose Many passed away peacefully at home on October 14, 2024. Born December 23rd, 1927, she was the third of five beloved red-headed children born to May Luella Gates Rose and Ralph Hugh Rose.

Ruth grew up on Rose’s Brook on the family Brown Swiss cattle farm, Rosemary, learning to work hard and love nature, especially birds, horses, and flowers.

She graduated from South Kortright Central School in 1945 and headed off to the Crane School of Music at Potsdam State Teachers College that fall, where she majored in Instrumental Music and continued to work on the family farm during the summers.

The summer between her sophomore and junior year of college, Ruth and her sister Anne spent a month taking care of Elsie, the Borden Cow, during a marketing promotion which found them spending two weeks with Elsie in Macy’s department store in New York City and two weeks with her in Toronto at the Canadian National Exhibition. Graduating from college in 1949, Ruth entered and won a national competition for a trip to Europe, representing over 50,000 4-H club members in the state. Commissioned as a “Grassroots Diplomat” and traveling with the International Farm Youth Exchange organization, Ruth spent the summer and fall of 1949 working on farms in Norway and learning the language, culture and customs of that country.

 On June 23, 1951, Ruth Rose married Floyd Brooks Many, the love of her life, at the South Kortright Presbyterian Church. She then moved to his family farm in Township, where they raised poultry and five children, and where she continued to live for over 70 years.

In 1972, Ruth began teaching Kindergarten at South Kortright Central School, a job in which she excelled and where she was highly respected. Upon retirement 19 years later, she and Floyd traveled extensively, visiting all 50 states and returning to visit Norway.

As a lifelong musician, Ruth was the pianist at the Township Methodist Church into her nineties, where she taught Sunday School many years before. An avid quilter, Ruth hand-made over 50 quilts.

Other interests included gardening, birdwatching, horseback riding, reading, sudoku, visits with neighbors and friends, wellness strategies, genealogy, walking, and a deeply abiding love of family. She was a lifelong learner and had the enviable quality of being an attentive listener.

Predeceased by her parents, 4 siblings, her son-in-law Kevin McHugh, and her husband Floyd, Ruth leaves her children; Dana (Barb VanEtten), Janet (Kevin McHugh), Neal (Linda Pfrang), Elaine (Greg Starheim), and Rena (Scott Davis), along with her grandchildren; Daren Many (Emily), Vanessa Armstrong (Bret), Colleen McHugh, Julie Stander (Jeff), Bryan Many, Daniel Many (Jackie), Rianna Starheim (Israel), Kristen, Elissa, and Nicholas Starheim, Ryan Davis (Lindsay), Evan Davis (Lindsay), Eric Davis, and a growing number of great-grandchildren.

 Contributions in her memory may be made to Helios, Township Methodist Church, or SKCS Dollars for Scholars (51742 State Hwy 10, Bloomville, NY 13739).

 A Celebration of Life will be held at a later date.

Please visit www.macarthurfh.com to share a condolence with Ruth’s family.