Funeral homes often submit obituaries as a service to the families they are assisting. However, we will be happy to accept obituaries from family members pending proper verification of the death.
It is with great sadness that the family of Ruth Ellen Elsasser-Kolberg share her unexpected passing on May 24, 2021, in Husum, Wash., at the age of 42. She will always be loved and remembered by her husband, Ryan Kolberg, and children Victor and Tsadiku Coffman.
Ruth was the beloved daughter of Thomas and Cathleen Elsasser and sister of Kerry Elsasser and Amy (Tristan) Morel L'Horset. She was a loving aunt to Tristan, Thomas, Theodore, Lincoln, Isabella, Olivia and Genevieve, and the devoted daughter-in-law of Linda Kolberg. She will be greatly missed by dear friends from Mansfield, Penn., to the area of the Columbia River Gorge in Washington and Oregon and beyond. Â
Ruth packed so much life into her 42 years. She traveled, hiked, biked, skied, chased her dreams, worked in a profession she loved, and still put one foot in front of the other while battling both Gaucher’s and Parkinson’s disease. She did so with grace and courage and took advantage of every moment. One of her favorite things to do was to share her love for the outdoors with her husband, sons, family, friends, and dogs. Her laugh was infectious and will be remembered by all who knew her. Â
Ruth was born at Morristown Memorial Hospital in Morristown, N.J., on March 7, 1979. Ruth attended both Mansfield Junior-Senior High School and Mansfield University of Pennsylvania and achieved high honors at both. She obtained her Master of Science in Nursing from Oregon Health Sciences University and her Doctorate of Nursing Practice from Frontier Nursing University and was a lifelong learner in her field. She was a compassionate and dedicated educator for the Frontier Nursing program and loved teaching and sharing her gifts with her students. Most recently, she was in pursuit of a certification in Ayurvedic Medicine as she believed that health and wellness depend on achieving a balance between the mind, body, and spirit.Â
Ruth has left an indelible mark on all of us lucky enough to have known her and we all wish her the peace she deserves. She would want us to find comfort in knowing she is free from pain. We will miss her zest for life and contagious smile. She will be deeply loved forever and will never be forgotten.Â
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Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
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Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.