Ruth A. Spicer

Ruth A. Spicer, age 79, of Fairview Heights, IL, born on August 26, 1941 in Davenport, Iowa, died on Sunday, January 3, 2021 at Memorial Hospital, Belleville, IL.

Ruth was primarily a homemaker but also held a variety of jobs at local businesses throughout her life, with her strong work ethic and kind heart being remembered the most.  She enjoyed delivering Meals on Wheels to homebound senior citizens in the Fairview Heights area and forged quick friendships with everyone she served.  In her retirement years, she operated a permanent flea market stall alongside her husband Vor at the Old Route 66 Flea Market in Granite City and the fellow vendors became like a second family to her.  She also volunteered each month at the rummage sales held at the O’Fallon Township Senior Center. 

In her free time, Ruth enjoyed walking along the Mississippi River at the Chain of Rocks Bridge, where she would collect driftwood with her husband Vor and search the riverbank for interesting rocks.  She was a bookworm, so much so that her family was one of the first to sign up for library cards at the Fairview Heights Library when it opened, and you would often find her nose buried in a book, usually authored by Stephen King, Sue Grafton, or Dean Koontz.  She possessed a talent for sewing, gardening, and painting keepsake ornaments for her family at Christmas.  Ruth was a loving, supportive wife, and mother.  Her devotion to her family was closely rivaled by the love she held for her cats, to whom she lovingly added middle names.  Her family is comforted by the fact that she will now be reunited with her beloved Dixie Kitty, Molly Ann, and Suzi Q at the Rainbow Bridge.

She was preceded in death by her father, Herman Platz, her stepfather, Beryl Smith, and her mother Margaret, nee Yaeger, Platz-Smith; her brothers, Stephen Platz and Kenneth Platz; and her great grandson, Ian Fleming.

She is survived by her husband of 40 years, Vor Spicer; her children, Christopher Fleming of Belleville, IL, Laura Blaylock (Dennis Walthes) of O’Fallon, IL, Christina (David) Green of O’Fallon, IL, Jeffrey Fleming of Marissa, IL, and Cynthia (John) Russell of Troy, IL; her grandchildren, Gina (Justin) Hill, Drew Weyenberg, Cara Weyenberg, Corey (Chelsea) Fleming, Katelynn Fleming, and Jacob Crawford; and her great grandchildren, Paige and Anna Rohr, Orion and Phoenix Hill, Brinlee Yarbrough, and Cora Fleming. 

Memorials may be made in Ruth’s honor to the Belleville Area Humane Society. 

A Celebration of Life will be held at a later date.

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