Ruth Gonzalez Garcia

Because of inclement weather, the Funeral Services will be postoned one day. The Funeral will be held on Thursday February 11, 2010 at 10:00 a.m. at Immaculate Conception Church with burial in Assumption Cemetery. Born December 27, 1920 in Omaha, Nebraska and was a resident of Toledo, Ohio area since 1932, passed away on February 6, 2010, surrounded by her loving family. Ruth retired from the Toledo Board of Education in 1988 from food service management after twenty-six years. She worked for various restaurants and bakeries as well as Willys Overland and the Toledo Box Lunch program in the late thirties and during WW II. Ruth married Tech-Sergeant, Fred S. Garcia, Sr. U.S. Army at Our Lady of Guadalupe Mission. Ruth was widowed after forty-three years of marriage in 1986. Ruth Garcia was a long time member of Immaculate Conception Parish where she raised her seven children and St. Charles Parish until residing at the Sacred Heart Home for the last decade. Ruth was a local, state, and national activist, an advocate for civil rights and voters registration as well as immigration reform. Ruth and her sister founded "La Voz del Barrio". With support base of two hundred Latino families, direct impact influenced South-End city projects ending in the actualization of the Aurora Gonzalez Community Center providing an array of health services for children to seniors. Streets were named Ruth Gonzalez-Garcia Way (from Anthony Wayne Trail to Broadway in South Toledo) and Aurora Gonzalez (her sister) Drive in recognition of community achievements. In 1977 Ruth was awarded The Lifetime Achievement Award from the Hispanic Leadership Institute. As recent as 2008 Ruth received the Cesar Chavez Achievement Award for lifetime contribution to the community. In September of 2009 she was inducted into Ohio's Civil Rights Hall of Fame and the end of 2009 received the award: Key to The City of Toledo honoring the Gonzalez family. She was also a proud member of The Catholic War Veterans Auxiliary. Ruth was preceded in death by son, Richard, brothers, Frank, Manuel, Fritz, Sylvester Jr., sisters, Aurora, Maria Sue, Josephine and Elenore. She is survived by her children Frederick (Linda), Alice Sutton (James Pemberton), Ruth Ann (Terry) Mohler, Raymond (Cheryl), Ron and John Garcia and niece, Isabel Rojas Dailey, brothers, Peter (Jessie) and Anthony (Irene) Gonzalez, sisters, Sr. Maria Jose, OSU and Salud Cortez. Fifteen grandchildren and seven great grandchildren, nieces, nephews and was Madrina to many. Friends may visit at the Coyle Funeral Home; 1770 S Reynolds Rd on Monday 5-8 pm and Tues 2-8 p.m. where a scripture service will be recited at 7:30 p.m. The funeral will begin in the mortuary Wednesday at 9:15 a.m. followed by a Mass of Christian Burial in Immaculate Conception Church at 10 a.m. Interment Assumption St. Mary's cemetery. Memorials may take the form of a contribution to the Sisters of The Visitation Monastery, 1745 Parkside Blvd., or the Little Sisters of The Poor.

Ruth Gonzalez Garcia

December 27, 1920 - February 6, 2010