Virginia (Reuthe) Kettling, 89, of Cedarburg, WI was reunited in Heaven with her
beloved husband George on November 22, 2021. She peacefully passed from her
home at Lasata Care Center with two of her daughters by her side. Ginne (as she was
best known) was born to Charles and Elizabeth Reuthe in August of 1932 in Toledo OH, the youngest of 8 children.
Ginne was a strong, dynamic, and accomplished woman, who touched many lives
around the world through, not only her career, but also her thoughtfulness.
Ginne's hard work and dedication were rewarded in so many ways, and she was
extremely proud of all of her achievements.
Ginne graduated from Capital University in Columbus, OH in 1955 with a Bachelor of
Science in Nursing and received her Masters of Arts in Guidance and Counseling from
Ohio State University in 1962. Originally, Ginne had plans to become a missionary, but
God had other plans for her. She married the love of her life, George, in June of 1962.
They shared 51 incredible years together, creating a loving and caring family of their
own four children, as well as many "extended family" members they gathered along the
way. Ginne's career grew from RN to Dean of Students at the University of Cincinnati,
nursing administrator as well as VP of Nursing at both Christ and Bethesda Hospitals in
Cincinnati, OH, Mt Sinai Medical Center in Milwaukee, WI and United Samaritans
Hospital in Danville, IL. When she and George moved to Cedarburg, WI, Ginne
continued her career as a parish nurse for Luther Manor as well as Advent Lutheran
Church. Ginne finally retired in 2007, but continued her caregiving for George. For both
of them, their favorite place was simply with each other.
In 2017, Ginne received the Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award for
achieving career longevity and demonstrating unwavering excellence in her chosen field
of Nursing.
For the past 13 years, Ginne's home was the Lasata Senior Living Campus, where
she continued to shine her light on the world, through volunteering and just loving others
for who they were. Living her life independently as a caregiver herself, it was hard for
Ginne to accept others taking care of her. She certainly lived her faith, being true to her
many friendships, and showing compassion for those in need. Throughout her most
recent challenging days, Ginne did her best to take one day at a time, and always took
the time to thank those who cared for her.
Ginne will be remembered as a thoughtful, generous, kind soul who stood up for what
was right, rooted for the underdog, and had quite a sense of humor. She always looked
for rainbows, as they were a comfort that George was near and that God heard her
prayers. She and George shared a soft spot in their hearts for all animals, especially
cats, and they adopted several during their life together. In her later years, Ginne loved
to play cards and especially loved doing jigsaw puzzles. She also delighted in hearing
about her grandkids and in simply watching "her birds" outside her window.
Ginne was preceded in death by her parents, her 3 sisters and 4 brothers. She is
survived by her four loving children: Elys (Mike) Law of Wooster OH, Kandy (Roger)
Lindgren of Kewaskum WI, Gynevra (Tim) Benson of Glendale WI, and Geoffry (Karen)
Kettling of Reno, NV. She is further survived by six beautiful grandchildren: Tina (Kyle)
Schlieve, Nolan (Jaalah) Benson, Lucas Benson, Chase and Lily Lindgren and Grace
Kettling, as well as great-granddaughter, Zaida Tomasini and 2 great grandsons: Arik
and Korbin Schlieve.
Ginne's family would like to extend their immense gratitude to the staff at Lasata Care
Center for all the loving care they have provided through the years, as well as providing
so many special friendships she so dearly cherished.
For most of her life, Ginne donated to many various charities. In lieu of flowers, the
family suggests memorials to any charity of choice.
A Celebration of Life will be held on Saturday, June 18th, 2022 at 2:00pm at Peace
UCC, with Pastor Eric Kirkegaard presiding.
The Eernisse Funeral Home is assisting
the family with arrangements. Please refer to their website for details closer to the time
of the service.
Online condolences may be left at www.eernissefuneralhome.com