A DEATH
HAS OCCURRED
Date – Date
Ruth M. (Schneider) Burbank, 98, peacefully passed away on Aug. 26, 2026, in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Ruth was born to Walter and Clara M. Schneider on Sept. 17, 1927, in a drafty old farmhouse near Seymour, Wisc., during the Great Depression. At the time, her home did not have indoor plumbing or electricity. No matter the weather, she walked about one mile through fields to a one-room schoolhouse. As a girl, Ruth shucked peas, and she always said her goal was to be able to afford to buy canned peas.
Ruth worked her way through two college degrees. She earned a bachelor’s degree in 1950 in mathematics with a minor in German, education and business from North Central College, Ill. She later went on to earn a master’s degree in mathematics from the University of Cincinnati in 1979.
After her bachelor’s degree and with $10 to her name, Ruth got a job as a waitress at Stouffer’s in Chicago. World War II had just ended and all the jobs were going to men returning from the war and Ruth needed a job that would bring in more money than teaching. Ruth waitressed for about six months, during which she dropped a plate of strawberry shortcake with whipped cream on the restaurant owner – right in his lap – then went and hid, certain she would be fired. She was not but did end up applying for and accepting a job at GE’s Evendale Plant in Ohio as an engineering assistant. The move to Cincinnati for the GE job was “temporary,” Ruth always said. But she never left.
It was at GE that Ruth met Hans Bollenbacher, her first love. The two married in 1952 and went on to have four children. Their marriage spanned 23 years before Hans passed. In 1976, Ruth married her second love, Richard Burbank. The two were married for 25 years before he passed in 2000.
In 1970, after raising children for 18 years, Ruth decided to pursue a career as a teacher. She worked at Greenhills-Forest Park High School as an algebra and calculus teacher for 19 years. Ruth also served as a 4-H leader for more than 20 years.
Ruth is remembered as being in charge, determined and “a woman before her time.” In the 1950s while working at GE, people didn’t want to call on a woman, so professionally, Ruth became “R. Schneider.” People calling for “Robert” and “Richard” Schneider were often stunned to discover that “R” stood for Ruth. She was an educator, through and through teaching math, cooking, sewing, knitting and more to anyone willing to learn. Ruth was also a blue ribbon winner for sewing and cooking at county fairs across the state of Ohio.
Snow skiing and golfing were her passions. Ruth was a competitive snow skier until she was 85 years old. She did not stop skiing until she was 90 years old. Ruth golfed until just three years ago, when she was 95 years old.
Ruth often shared her near-century worth of lessons learned with loved ones, including this nugget of wisdom: “Each period of your life is different and adjusting is vital. Keep an interest in old and new things and help other people. It is better to be busy than to be bored.”
Ruth was preceded in death by her parents, Walter and Clara M. Schneider, and her two husbands, Hans Bollenbacher and Richard L. Burbank.
She is survived by: Carol M. Kopecky (Tom), Gail A. Connery (Bob), Hans A. Bollenbacher (Betsy) and Todd E. Bollenbacher, Barbara A. Gray, Douglas L. Burbank (Donna), Pamela B. Carl (Ken) and Elizabeth P. Hamrick (Charlie). Ruth is also survived by 17 grandchildren and 18 great-grandchildren.
Services will be held Friday, Sept. 4 at Arlington Memorial Gardens Funeral Home, located at 2155 Compton Road, Cincinnati, Ohio 45231. Services for the family will begin at 9:30 a.m., with visitation from 10-11 a.m. The services will begin at 11 a.m., followed by the burial service at 12 p.m. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to the First Presbyterian Church of Glendale at 155 East Fountain Ave, Cincinnati, Ohio 45246.
Friday, September 4, 2026 at 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM
The Arlington Memorial Gardens Funeral Home
Friday, September 4, 2026 at 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM
The Arlington Memorial Gardens Funeral Home
Friday, September 4, 2026 at 12:00 PM
The Arlington Memorial Gardens
“Ruth used to babysit for my two older sisters. Her last years at North Central College, she moved-in with my parents and became forever a beloved member of our family. She kept up with my parents until they died. Every Christmas we would received something special that Ruth had made. It was usually some sort of Christmas ornament so each year we looked forward to pulling her gifts out of our attic to start our Christmas decorating. For my parents 50th wedding anniversary she made them a lovely Afghan. Both of my older sisters died long before Ruth did. We lovingly called her by the name that my sister gave her; Roofie. God Speed Roofie!”
09/10/2026
“Ruth used to babysit for my two older sisters. Her last years at North Central College, she moved-in with my parents and became forever a beloved member of our family. She kept up with my parents until they died. Every Christmas we would received something special that Ruth had made. It was usually some sort of Christmas ornament so each year we looked forward to pulling her gifts out of our attic to start our Christmas decorating. For my parents 50th wedding anniversary she made them a lovely Afghan. Both of my older sisters died long before Ruth did. We lovingly called her by the name that my sister gave her; Roofie. God Speed Roofie!”
09/10/2026
“Ruth was such an incredible woman. We were church friends at Forest Park Christian Church during the 70’s and 80’s. So many years of wonderful memories during our time together. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family. 🙏❤️”
09/03/2026
“Ruth was a dedicated participant of Kemper Road Christian Church “Women’s Fellowship”. (CWF) She taught us how to use the knitting machine so we could present scarves to the women’s shelters. In our fund raiser “bake sells” Ruth would make the best cookies, so she would have pre-orders. Ruth would host the last CWF meeting of the year at her home, which always included a two tier cake. She was loved by all. Condolences to the family. She certainly will be missed but always remembered by her kindness.”
09/03/2026
“Ruth was a dedicated participant of Kemper Road Christian Church “Christian Women’s Fellowship”. (CWF) She taught us how to use the knitting machine so we could presents scarfs to the women’s shelters. In our fund raiser “bake sells” Ruth would make the best cookies, so she would have pre-orders. Ruth would host the last CWF meeting of the year at her home, which always included a two tier cake. She was loved by all. Condolences to the family. She certainly will be missed but always remembered by her kindness.”
09/03/2026
“Ruth was a dedicated participant in Kemper Road “Christian Women’s Fellowship”. She taught us how to use the knitting machine so we could presents scarfs to the women’s shelters. In our fund raiser “bake sells” Ruth would make the best cookies, so she would have pre-orders. Ruth would host the last CWF meeting of the year at her home, which always included a two tier cake. She was loved by all. Condolences to the family. She certainly will be missed but always remembered by her kindness.”
09/03/2026
“Ruthie was one of my best friends and a woman I admired for her talents, her intelligence, and her kindness. Lee said it best, “She was a legend.” In loving remembrance, Rachel”
09/03/2026
“I will send a memorial gift to her church, which meant so much to her. I totally loved those Saturday knit clubs spent with other knitters, and Ruth sharing so much knowledge with us. She was a remarkable person! She enriched our lives.”
09/01/2026
“Ruth’s “nugget of wisdom” regarding adjusting to each period of life shows how we’re still learning from her. We always enjoyed our annual holiday get-together while over a meal of Sonny’s bbq, Ruth would share some of her memories of our grandparents and what life was like growing up on a Wisconsin farm. From her humble beginnings, Ruth certainly enjoyed an active life with many accomplishments. We’ll always admire her enthusiasm for new experiences and adventures well into her golden years. She’ll be missed.”
09/01/2026
“Ruth was such a strong, admirable, unfllappable woman. I am so grateful for having known her. I miss her as a role model and her much appreciated Machine Knitting tutelage. Bless you Ruth.”
08/30/2026
“Dear Libby and Family, Ruth was such an incredible person and we always enjoyed her company. She and our mother were such good friends. Always enjoyed her adventures and know she lived a quite full life.We send you our love and hugs to all🙏🏻”
08/29/2026
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