Obituaries : Drusilla Ivah (Griffith) Richtsmeier

Drusilla Ivah (Griffith) Richtsmeier passed away Saturday, Feb. 20, 2021, in Wildwood, Florida, at the age of 96. Dru was born in Ackley, Iowa, on Feb. 15, 1925, to Charles and Sophie Griffith (Maifeld). She graduated from Ackley High School in 1943, then moved to Cedar Falls, Iowa, and worked as a telephone operator through the end of World War II.

On Feb. 21, 1946, she married Harold L. Richtsmeier who had returned from the Pacific Theatre. Their union created three children, Robert, Sharon and DeAnna. Dru worked as a housewife on numerous farms in the Ackley and Geneva area. During the 1970s Dru trained to be an aide at Ellsworth Hospital in Iowa Falls. She was immensely proud of her work there and made many lasting friendships. When Harold and Dru retired to Ackley in the 1980s, she worked on the ambulance crew. When Dru and Harold were not working or raising children, you would have found them on the Janesville and Surf Ballroom dance floors enjoying their favorite music and dancing the night away. Harold passed away in 1995 and the following year, Dru made the decision to move to West Bend, Wisconsin, to be near family.
She led a busy retirement with her devotion to numerous hobbies including quilting and volunteer work. One of her favorite pastimes was watching her grandson's sporting events. She became such a favorite face that many of the fans knew her by name.
Throughout her whole life God remained a constant for her. She was an active member of St. Peters UCC in Geneva, Iowa, and 5th Ave. United Methodist Church in West Bend, Wisconsin. She lived many years at Cedar Community, both at The Ridge and Cedar Bay West. In her final years, she lived in an assisted living facility in Florida.
Dru was a loving wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother. She is survived by her son, Robert and his wife Charleen (Kreimeyer) of Ackley Iowa; daughter, Sharon and husband Gary Allen of The Villages, Florida; sister, Irma Weatherwax of Vinton, Iowa; and her brother-in-law, Ralph and his wife Betty Richtsmeier from Babbitt, Minnesota. At her time of passing, Dru had four grandchildren, Jay Allen, Renee Evans, Dawn Jones and Aaron Jo'Nes; 14 great-grandchildren; six great-great-grandchildren; and numerous nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Harold; daughter, DeAnna and her husband Alfred Flook; and grandchildren, Bobby Jo Garza and Travis Richtsmeier.
The family held a celebration of life in Florida on Feb. 25 and sometime next summer, she will be laid to rest at St. Peters in Geneva next to her husband Harold.