Ruth A.L. Pieper, RN, 97, of Lena, Illinois, passed away Sunday, December 7, 2014 at the Lena Living Center. She was born June 20, 1917, in Baltimore, Maryland to Rev. Christian F.L. and Christine (Kroger) Pieper.

Ruth moved to Lena as a child when her father, Rev. Christian F.L. Pieper, became the pastor of Immanuel Lutheran Church. She was a 1936 graduate of Lena High School and received her R.N. degree in September of 1939 from the Deaconess Hospital School of Nursing, in Freeport, IL, where she worked for some time after her graduation. She joined Eugene L. Vickery, MD in his Lena, IL, practice as his office nurse, where she worked for many years until her retirement. Ruth was a devout member of her church—Immanuel Lutheran Church and then Good Shepherd Lutheran Church (formed by the merger of Immanuel and Amity Lutheran Churches).
She was preceded in death by her father the Rev. Christian F.L. Pieper, her mother Christine W. Pieper, her sister and brother-in-law Caroline H.C. (Paul) Merkle; and her brothers Christian F.S. and the Rev. Dr. Paul F.W. Pieper.

She is survived by her sisters-in-law Patricia (St. Petersburg, FL) and Jane (Paxton, IL); and her nieces Barbara (Jack) Weisensee of Lisle, IL; Karen (L.T.) Robertson of Urbana, IL; Carol Miller of Belleville, IL; and Deborah Cutts of Streamwood, IL. She is also survived by great nieces and nephews Douglas (Sue) Weisensee, Christine Weisensee, Loren (Bridget) Miller, Jennifer (Ryan) Mokos, and Laura Robertson; and great-great nieces and nephews Abigail and Hannah Weisensee; Christian, Cameron and Caylee Miller; and Nathan Mokos.

A graveside service is being planned. A memorial service for Ruth and her brother, Paul, will be held in the spring.