Ruth Orilee (Dyar) Breidenstein died peacefully on July 12, 2023, at Creamery Creek Senior Living in Viroqua, Wis., surrounded by the love of family and friends in person and in spirit. Ruth was born Aug. 7, 1930, to Richard and Edith (Teeters) Dyar in La Farge, Wis.
She lived in La Farge until the middle of her high school years, when her family moved to a farm outside Valley, Wis. She graduated from Hillsboro High School in 1948 and attended Normal School in Viroqua for two years to earn her teaching certificate. Her first teaching job was at Eastman school, a one-room school not too far from the farm where she lived with her parents.
Ruth met and married the love of her life, Beauford Breidenstein, in 1952. After her marriage, she also taught in Ontario and West Salem while Beauford worked and attended UW-LaCrosse. In 1957, they moved to Edgerton, where they met many lifelong friends. In 1963, Delavan became their home for most of the rest of their lives. Ruth and Beauford had three children, Rychie Breidenstein, Julie (Larry) Los, and Tim (Jackie) Breidenstein; seven granddaughters, Jenna, Lauren (Grant), Mattie (Josh), Macie (Hank), Kyra (Damion), Alana (Spencer) and Jorian; and six great-grandchildren. Ruth taught math at Phoenix Middle School in Delavan for over 30 years.
She earned her undergraduate and master’s degrees at UW-Whitewater in 1967 and 1977, respectively. When she graduated in ‘67, she was recruited to teach math at Phoenix by then-principal David Curry. Ruth and Beauford were the first couple to both be allowed to teach in the Delavan School District at the same time. She loved to sing in choirs, beginning with a community choir in Valley (from which a friend and later brother-in-law put her in touch with Beauford), church choirs in Edgerton and Delavan, and for many years, she and Rychie sang with the Milton Community Choir. She was a longtime and faithful member of the United Methodist Church in Delavan. Ruth also loved to camp, travel, sightsee and go to McDonald’s for breakfast, a Big Mac, or ice cream.
A visitation was Monday, July 17, from 4:30 until service at 6 p.m. at the funeral home (118 S. 2nd St, Delavan, Wis.). Second visitation was Tuesday, July 18, at the Picha Funeral Home (908 Prairie Ave., Hillsboro, Wis.) from 10 a.m. until service at 11 a.m. Burial followed at Forest Burr Cemetery, with funeral luncheon at the Valley Community Center.
Memorials may be given in lieu of flower donations to St. Jude Children Research Hospital.
Lazarczyk Family Funeral Home of Delavan, Wis., is proudly serving the family.
