Ruth Lorge

    Ruth M. Lorge, age 91, of the Harbor Club, Port Washington, Wis., passed away peacefully with her family at her side on Sunday, June 28, 2020, at Horizon’s Lawlis Family Hospice in Mequon.
    Ruth was born on Sept. 5, 1928, the daughter of John L. and Cecilia Lecher Schmit.  
    Ruth grew up next to her father’s auto dealership (J.L. Schmit, Buick, Pontiac, Cadillac dealership, “The Columbia Garage”) with her brothers and sisters. She attended St. Mary’s Catholic School and Port Washington High School.
    Ruth married James F. “Jim” (“Big Daddy”) Lorge of Milwaukee at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Port Washington on June 18, 1949.  
    The couple had just recently celebrated their 71st wedding anniversary.
    Ruth was a very active homemaker and mom to her family.
    Ruth taught crocheting classes at the former Port Washington Vocational School and she continued to knit and crochet throughout her life for family and friends.  She was active in Boy Scouts, with her children, and in her parish, St. Peter of Alcantara, now St. John XXIII parish.  
    Many will remember Ruth and Jim staffing the take-out ticket booth for Lenten parish fish fries and other parish events.
    Ruth volunteered for many years at the St. Vincent DePaul Store in Port Washington and was a proud supporter of the Port Washington Historical Society.
    For most of her married life, Ruth and her family lived on North Montgomery Street in Port Washington, retiring to Scottsdale, Ariz., in the 1990s, and returning to Port in 2003 to be near family.
    Ruth is survived by her husband Jim; her children Phil Lorge of Tucson, Ariz., Ann Louise Lorge of Port Washington, Al (Nancy) Lorge of North Adams, Mass., and Lize (Mike) Keller of Port Washington; her grandchildren Jennifer (David) Anderson, Beth Lorge, Ed Lorge, Max Lorge, Erin McMahon, Bekky (Kodee) Dunham and Emily Keller; and great-grandchildren Abigail Anderson and Karsyn Dunham.  
    She is further survived by her sister Barbara Bichler of Port Washington, sisters-in-law Audrey Schmit of Bellevue, Neb., Carol Ann Filo of Port Washington, and Joan (the late Jerry) Lorge of Appleton, Wis., brother-in-law Bob (the late Carol) Lorge of Port Washington, nieces, nephews, other relatives, and many friends.
    Ruth was preceded in death by her sisters Cece and her husband Harold “Harry” Preisler and Marion and her husband Frank “Puch” Pujanauski; her brothers Don Schmit, Elmer and his wife Lucille Schmit and Bob and his wife Harriet Schmit; her sister-in-law Mary Joan (“Sis”) and her husband Larry Bruecher; and brothers-in-law Dick and his wife Roseann Lorge and Eugene and his wife Jean Lorge.
    We will celebrate Ruth’s life with a memorial Mass of resurrection at 4 p.m. Wednesday, July 29, 2020, at St. John XXIII Parish, St. Peter of Alcantara Church, 1802 N. Wisconsin St., Port Washington, Wis.  The Rev. Patrick Wendt will be the celebrant.  
    Interment will take place at St. Mary’s Cemetery in Port Washington at a date yet to be determined.
    The family extends a very sincere thank you and grateful appreciation to Dr. Fitzsimmons, Dr. Ginster and the staff at Aurora Hospital Emergency Room-Grafton and the staff and employees at Horizon’s Lawlis Family Hospice for the level of professionalism, dedication, compassion, caring, kindness and respect shown to Ruth and her family during a difficult time.  You truly made a difference!
    Memorials to Wisconsin Lions Camp, 3834 County Road A, Rosholt, WI 54473 (www.wisconsinlionscamp.com) are appreciated.
    Poole Funeral Home/Crematory, Port Washington, Wis., is assisting the family.
    Information and condolences are available at www.poolefh.com or (262) 284-4431.
    Covid-19 recommendations will be followed. Masks are recommended and practice social distancing. Thank you.