In appreciation: Ruth Elinor Schreiber Church

FALLS VILLAGE — Ruth Elinor Schreiber Church. Our dear mother passed away on New Year’s Eve, Dec. 31, 2011. Five days before she would have celebrated her 71st birthday. She suffered a nine-month battle with brain cancer. She was a very loving, sweet and kind Mother. She loved her family with all of her very strong heart.She was an amazing pianist and organist whose love of spiritual and classical music showed off her extraordinary talents. Her beautiful hands, which were always so soft and ready to hold at a moment’s notice were her main source of comfort during her last months on this earth.We were very blessed to spend so much time with our beautiful Mom during her life, and to be able to give her peace and comfort during those long months she suffered. She loved us unconditionally, and was always there for us at a moment’s notice. She loved our children and enjoyed spending time with them, Dominoes or Racko were her favorite games to play with them. She was always at the bus stop for the first day of school seeing her grandchildren off every year.We enjoyed many vacations spent with her, camping being one of her favorites. Especially with her “one son” and her grandchildren. She loved the ocean and walking along the beach, going for boat rides and campfires especially. She also loved just sitting on a bench on the boardwalk and people watching. She would hop in the car and go shopping with us and her grandchildren at a moment’s notice. If she didn’t feel like walking anymore, we always parked where she could watch the entrance.Mom was a very caring and giving person. Even though she had six children, she always knew just what we all liked, our different personalities, our dreams and hopes. She was always there with encouraging words and hugs when times were tough and always there with us when times were worth celebrating. She never missed a birthday party, or a school concert and attended several basketball games over the years.We had countless meals together throughout the years, and her favorites were the crazy “clean out the refrigerator” ones. She made us smile with her goofy faces and her bottom of the pit laughs. She would adorn us all with crazy gifts at Christmas time. One year she gave us all bath towels, even our husbands, and one year a poker game to her 10-year-old granddaughter. She gave to many charities and we all would receive the countless free items she received for her donations.She praised our talents and forgave us our faults. We survived the countless hand-me-downs, the knitted ponchos, the home-made clothing, the multi-colored bell-bottom pants, the throw it all together in one skillet meals, the classical music always playing in the house and the two weeks of home-sick Girl Scout camping.She survived the six driver license trainings, the six chicken pox outbreaks, the six piles of weekly laundry, and the “never ending” meals with grace and poise.Our Mom gave us all our strength and courage, our manners and kindness. We will miss her laughter and beautiful smile. She will forever remain in our hearts, and we will always hear her sweet music.We wish to thank all of the wonderful CNAs and nurses at Noble Horizons and at Geer Nursing and Rehabilitation Center for their wonderful and tender care of our beloved mother. God Bless you all.Lisa Anne Fallon and Deborah Elizabeth Hotchkiss, her daughters Falls Village