Mary Louise (Elsworth) Rutledge

Mary Louise. Rutledge passed away on May 29th after a brief illness and hospital stay in Kansas City.  She had been residing at Bristol Manor for the past 2 years along with her husband, Keith and sister, Ruth Ellsworth.

Mary was born on August 22nd, 1940 to Walter Edward Ellsworth and Jessie Leois Walls Ellsworth in their home near Modena, Missouri. She resided in northern Missouri all her life. She attended the Bane grade school and graduated from the Ravanna grade school in eighth grade. She enjoyed the farm life while growing up and loved being around animals.  She married Keith Rutledge on March 7th, 1964 in Princeton, Missouri. The couple resided in Trenton and Spickard, finally moving to their home in the prior schoolhouse of Parkerton just north of Trenton. Mary worked as a certified nurses’ assistant at Sunnyview Nursing Home from October 1975 to September 2006, caring for the residents as if they were her own family. Mary enjoyed the surrounding farmland, cattle and many wild animals that frequented the property.  She tended large gardens every summer much to the dismay of her two daughters, Kathy and Kristie, who were often recruited to help.  She also kept many indoor plants and loved watching hummingbirds that seemed to flock to her bird feeders. She spent countless hours embroidering and gifted many items to friends and family over the years and loved family gatherings that allowed her to cook and bake to her heart’s content. She was a proud mother of 2 girls and grandmother of three, who were all the light of her life.  She was a faithful believer in Christ.  

She is preceded in death by her parents, her eldest sister Lela Hall, and her brother, Walter Ellsworth.  She is survived by her husband, Keith and her sister, Ruth Ellsworth, both residents of Bristol Manor in Trenton.  She is also survived by her daughter, Kathy Winkelman (Kevin) of Martinsburg, MO and her daughter, Kristie Baker (Eric) of Lee’s Summit, MO along with three grandchildren, Emily, Elizabeth and Elijah Baker of Lee’s Summit as well.  

She will be deeply missed by her family and friends.

Funeral Services will be held Saturday, June 6, 2020 at 2:00 P.M. at Slater-Neal Funeral Home, Trenton. Burial will be in Hamilton Cemetery, West of Modena, MO.

Family visitation will be held Saturday from 1:00 P.M. to 2:00 P.M. at the funeral home.

Condolences may be left with the funeral home.  In lieu of flowers, a monetary donation may be left in Mary’s name to the Greenhills Animal Shelter in Trenton, MO.

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