Ruth Evelyn Freehling Hesselgesser

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Biography/Pictures

From Nancy Sutton's notes on her mother:

Ruth attended school through the eighth grade at the school in Cabot. Her family nickname was "Moo" and she and Elsie Krause were friends. Ruth and her husband Keneth Hesselgesser bought property on top of the hill in Marwood from Grandpa Freehling (almost an acre) and built a small house partially connected with the homestead by a wooden walkway. At the time there was no indoor plumbing, so an outhouse was also built in the backyard.

Kenneth and Ruth were members of the Cabot United Methodist Church and in the late 20's she joined her father and possibly her mother in conducting Sunday School in the Gravatt School, located on Spiker Road, one mile out the Marwood Road. They most often walked out. They were considered missionaries by the church. An early account reads as follows:

Many Sundays the Freehlings walked about two and a half miles from their home in Marwood to the school. They did this because the unpaved roads were often so muddy, that is was impossible to drive on them. They also carried a box of firewood with them to start the fire when it was chilly or cold.

Mother played the piano and taught the youngsters, while her father taught the adults. She remembers also playing the pump organ there and told of how difficult it was to pump! The building burned in Feb 1929 and the account continues:

In 1932 they started having Sunday School lessons in the summer in the stone house owned by George Frey at the corner of Spiker Road and Marwood Road...continued for three or four years. They met in the living room, the adults sitting on the chairs and couch, the children on the floor...Everyone looked forward to Sunday, to the singing and Bible lessons...(given) in the days of the depression when (they) had so little.

At least two additions were built on the house at various times during the years and at least two garages were on the property at different times. The second addition included an indoor bathroom! A later addition included a garage along with an additional bedroom...I can remember when this was done. The house was heated by a coal furnace, so the basement (cellar) included one corner closed off as a coal bin. The coal was delivered by truck and loaded through a small basement window directly into the coal bin. It provided wonderful heat, but it did produce lots of soot so we dusted thoroughly, and often!

Ruth was an excellent homemaker, excelling in homemade vegetable soup and will always be praised for her wonderfully delicious rolls! she gardened, canned, made homemade soup, grew gladiolus and always sewed. We were always outfitted in her creations, from top to bottom. In fact, I did not own anything store-bought until after I was married! Mom worked for Beulah McCormick's yarn shop after Bev was married and finally began sewing almost full time from home and had an interesting clientele of lovely women from all over the area who became her friends. She became active in the local Soroptomist Club and did a bit of traveling on her own, which she thoroughly enjoyed. She was also actively teaching a Sunday School class of young couples and continued until she was in her 80's.

After Daddy died in 1977, she remained in the house at Marwood alone, eventually having some day help. She bought a new dryer in 1997 for $299 and had it delivered. She used it only a few months. Her need to have more care became evident and she moved to the YMCA facility in Butler in Feb 1998. Because of her declining health and need for more "hands-on" care, she moved to St. Barnabas Nursing home in Gibsonia in Nov 1999.

Obituary

Ruth E. Hesselgesser, 97, of Gibsonia, Richland, formerly of Marwood in Winfield, died Thursday (April 4, 2002) at St. Barnabas Nursing Home, Richland.

She was born Nov. 1, 1904, in Marwood.
A self-employed dress maker, she worked out of her Marwood home.
Mrs. Hesselgesser was the oldest member of Cabot United Methodist Church, Winfield, where she was a former Sunday school teacher, and a past member of the Soroptimist Club of Butler.
She was an avid flower gardener and floral arranger.

Survivors include three daughters, Beverly A. McClaine and Mrs. Mary Jo (Albert C.) McGrath, both of Butler, and Nancy L. Sutton of Ocala, Fla.; seven grandchildren; and six great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Kenneth W. Hesselgesser, in 1977; a granddaughter; her parents, Samuel D. and Margaret Hutzler Freehling; two brothers; and two sisters.
Visitation will be from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. Sunday at the FOX FUNERAL HOME INC., Main Street, Saxonburg. A memorial service will be at 11 a.m. Monday at Cabot United Methodist Church, with her pastor, the Rev. Dennis Swineford, officiating. Burial will be in Butler County Memorial Park, Butler.

(Obituary from The Valley News Dispatch, Tarentum, Pa.)

Ruth & Kenneth Hesselgesser tombstone:

References

Last data update: Dec 14, 2025

1910 United States Census Document, Winfield Township, Butler County, PA, Enumeration date: 5 May 1910, page 9, lines 92-97 Citation post date: 2009-07-08

1920 United States Census Document, Winfield Township, 1st Precinct, Butler County, PA; Enumeration date: Jan 16, 1920, page 6, lines 33-39 Citation post date: 2009-07-04

Find A Grave internet website for grave markers, https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/16256768/ruth-e-hesselgesser Citation post date: 2025-12-10

Personal genealogical research information and notes provided by James E. Sutton III, Citation post date: 2006-06-09

Personal genealogical research information and notes provided by Nancy Lee (Hesselgesser) Sutton, Citation post date: 2006-06-09