Ruth Ann Burdt, age 86, of Dubuque, IA, passed away peacefully at 10:29 p.m. on Tuesday, June 12, 2018, at Mercy Medical Center-Dubuque. Ruth will be honored with funeral services being held at 10:00 a.m. on Monday, June 18, 2018, at St. Patrick’s Church, 1425 Iowa Street, with Msgr. Thomas E. Toale officiating. To celebrate Ruth’s life, family and friends are encouraged to visit from 1:00 p.m. until 6:00 p.m. on Sunday, June 17, 2018, at Behr Funeral Home, 1491 Main Street, where there will be a parish scripture wake service held at 1:00 p.m. Burial will be in Mt. Calvary Cemetery.

Ruth was born on March 25, 1932 in Dubuque, Iowa, daughter of Aloysius and Dorothy (Hayes) Feldman. She lived her entire life in Dubuque, surrounded by loving family and friends. She married the love of her life, William “Bill” Burdt, on December 26, 1952 at St. Patrick’s Church. The couple were blessed with 63 wonderful years of marriage and were the proud parents of eight children whom they adored, before Bill passed away on February 13, 2016.

Ruth was a devoted family woman. She cherished every opportunity she had to spend time with her family. These moments brought Ruth immeasurable joy, especially when her grandchildren were present. In addition to being a full-time wife, mother, grandmother, and devoted Catholic, Ruth spent over 20 years working as bookkeeper with Beecher’s Company Inc. She was guided by her faith and took great pride in her long-time membership at St. Patrick’s Church. For the last 32 years, Ruth baked a cake each week for the parish’s Wednesday Night Meal.

Her family is both heartbroken and stunned by the all-too-sudden absence of Ruth from their physical lives. While the Lord has decided to take her home without warning, the family finds solace in knowing that she has been reunited with her husband, who she missed every day since his passing. Ruth’s family expresses their love and their gratitude for the love and affection she showered them with over the 86 years of her life.

Those left to cherish Ruth’s memory include

her children,
Cindy (Mark Wirth) White, Dubuque, IA,
William (Janet El Khatib) Burdt Jr., Dubuque, IA,
Joseph (Cindy) Burdt, Dubuque, IA,
Nancy (Jim) Karrmann, Madison, WI,
Linda (Scott) Massengill, Summit, NJ,
Michael (Kendyll) Burdt, Denver, CO,
Dr. Mark (Julie) Burdt, Ankeny, IA
and Michelle (Victor) Cruz, Sheboygan Falls, WI;

18 grandchildren,
Anthony (Jennifer) White, Lindsey (Josh) Einsweiler, Greg (Lauren) White, Joe Burdt, Jr., Brian (Kristen) Burdt, Jeremy (Bethany) Burdt, Danielle Burdt, Sarah (Jeff) Wilczewski, Ashley (Andrew) Czech, Carter Massengill, Kayleigh Massengill, Makenzie Burdt, Madison Burdt, Lauren Burdt, Erin Burdt, Mallory Burdt, Makena Cruz and Mateo Cruz;

9 great-grandchildren,
Lily Tschiggfrie, Evalena Tschiggfrie, Dempsey White, Van White, Peyton Wilczewski, Zachary Wilczewski, Bentley Burdt, Aubrielle Burdt and Michael White;
and her siblings,
Donna Freund, Dubuque, IA,
Mary Kay Feldman, Colorado Springs, CO,
Sr. Nancy Feldman, BVM, Chicago, IL
and Helen McKain, Colorado Springs, CO.

Ruth was preceded in death by her parents; her loving husband, William F. “Bill” BurdtSr.; her brother, William Feldman; a daughter-in-law, Teri Burdt; and her brother-in-law, John Freund.

A Ruth Ann Burdt memorial fund has been established which will be given to St Patrick’s Church.