ZANESVILLE: Ruth Marie Secrest, 85, formerly of Pleasant City, Ohio, passed on on Saturday (October 18, 2014) at the Helen Purcell Home in Zanesville, Ohio.
She was born December 10, 1928, in Sharon, PA., to the late Andrew and Anna (Hornak) Hvizdak.
She was a 1946 graduate of Concordia High School in Ft. Wayne, Indiana, and a graduate of the Old White Cross School of Nursing in Columbus, Ohio.
She worked as a registered nurse at the St. Francis Hospital in Cambridge, OH. (Guernsey County)
She married her husband of 60 years, the late Merlin Secrest, on June 15, 1952.
Ruth's father was a pastor at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church of Pleasant City, OH.
Later, Ruth was active at Calvary Baptist in Byesville, Ohio and most recently attended Faith Baptist Church in Belle Valley, OH with her family.
She and Merlin loved to travel both in the U.S. and abroad, and boating at Seneca Lake.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Merlin Secrest on September 28, 2012; her parents; brothers, Andrew, Lewis, Jerry and George Hvizdak; and sisters, Louise Hvizdak and Olga Abel.
Ruth is survived by her daughters, Robin (Tom) Archer of Summerfield, Ohio and Stephanie (Matthew) Scott of Chandlersville, Ohio; her six grandchildren, Alison (Matt) Hannahs, Luke (Megan) Archer, Sarah (Tim) Tewksbary, Susan Scott, Andrew (Tiffany) Scott, and Annie (Joe) Green.
She is also survived by nine great-grandchildren, Lane, Garrett, Natalie, Marielle, Katie, Grace, Caleb, Abbye, Hannah, and Joel;
Also surviving her are two sisters, Anne (Harold) Foelber and Irene Shestina; a sister-in-law, Helen Hvizdak; and a brother-in-law, Hervy Jr. (Betty) Secrest.
Calling hours will be today (Monday) from 5 to 8 p.m. and one hour prior to the services on Tuesday at 11 a.m. at the Black-Epperson Funeral Home, Byesville, Ohio.
Burial will be in the Pleasant City Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to Hospice or The Helen Purcell Home.