Ida Ruth Coffman

October 3, 1929 - January 13, 2020

Ida Ruth Coffman, the daughter of William and Mary (Phipps) Sanger, was born on October 3, 1929 in Leon, Iowa. She grew up in Leon until the 6th grade when her family moved to Guthrie Center, Iowa. She graduated with the class of 1948 from Guthrie Center High School. On April 17, 1949 Ida Ruth married the love of her life, Ronnie Coffman in Guthrie Center. To this union, two children were born: Cathy and Nancy Jo. Ida Ruth and Ronnie lived in Crawford County, Iowa for a year until they went into the produce business with Ronnie's brother in Shelby; relocating them to the Shelby/Minden area. In the early 1960s Ronnie and Ida Ruth owned and operated the bar in Minden. Although they took some years off, they ran the Café, Bar, and Bowling Alley from the 60s to the 90s, with Ida Ruth running it in the last few years as Ronnie's health began to fail. She rejuvenated the cafe and had customers leaving happy. She could mix a mean drink, too. She would always say, "I may not remember your name, but I remember what your drink was". Now that is service. Ida Ruth loved to socialize. She loved talking to people about their days and catching up on the recent news. She was also a sports fan and loved to watch the games on TV. Ida Ruth got mad at herself when she fell asleep during a game, and couldn't remember what happened, what the score was, or who won the game. Her enjoyment of the St. Louis Cardinals might have led her to her love for nature. Bird watching was one of her favorite things to do. Her favorite bird, in fact, was the cardinal. Ida Ruth and Ronnie were always happy to go to their cabin in Alexandria, Minnesota on Maple Lake where they vacationed with the family, watched birds, went fishing, and just spent time together. She especially liked to catch and eat walleye. On Monday, January 13, 2020 Ida Ruth passed away at Risen Son Christian Village in Council Bluffs with family by her side. At the time of her death, she attained the age of 90 years, 3 months, and 10 days. She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband Ronnie; an infant brother Kenneth; and her sister Merle Clark. Those left to cherish her memory are her daughters Cathy Killpack and her husband Clifford of rural Neola, Iowa; and Nancy Jo Nielsen and her husband John of Dunlap, Iowa; grandchildren David Killpack and his wife Sierra; Jonathan Killpack and his wife Jennifer; Steven Killpack and his wife Tessa; Jessica Grisamore and her husband Brandon; and Brent Nielsen and his wife Leeann; 13 great grandchildren; and other family members and friends.