Ruth Vanderheiden, age 81, of Carroll, died Friday, November 21, 2014, at her residence surrounded by her family.

Mass of the Christian Burial will be celebrated at 11 a.m. Tuesday, November 25, 2014, at Holy Spirit Catholic Church in Carroll. The Celebrant will be Fr. Timothy Johnson. Mass Servers will be Dawson Miller and Patrick McAlister. Music will be by Barb McDermott, Holy Spirit Choir with Thomas Geake as soloist. Lector for the funeral mass will be Linda Berger. Gift Bearers will be granddaughters: Erin McAlister, Kaitlin Geake, and Jessica McAlister. Eucharistic Minister will be Mike Berger. Casket Bearers will be grandsons: Jake Galligan, Ryan, Andy, and Martin McAlister, Aaron Miller, Corey, Nick, and Lukas Vanderheiden, and Dillon Walsh. The Carroll Catholic Daughters of the Americas and the St. Anthony Hospital Auxiliary will form an honor guard for the funeral mass. Burial will be at 2 p.m. Tuesday at Sacred Heart Cemetery in Manning.

Friends may call at the Sharp Funeral Home in Carroll after 4 p.m. on Monday where there will be a rosary at 5 p.m. by the Carroll Catholic Daughters of the Americas and a Christian Wake Service at 7 p.m. by Holy Spirit Parish.

The casket will be moved to Holy Spirit Church at 10 a.m. on Tuesday where visitation will resume until time of the funeral mass.

Memorials may be left at the funeral home or the church for New Hope Village or Carroll Area Iowans for Life.

Funeral arrangements are under the direction of the Sharp Funeral Home in Carroll.

Ruth was born on September 12, 1933, at Manning, Iowa, the daughter of John and Clara (Lechtenberg) Sextro. She spent her younger years in the Manning area attending country school and later graduated from Manning High School in 1953.

Ruth was employed at General Electric in Carroll from 1973 until its closing in 1998. She was also active with the Catholic Daughters of America, St. Anthony Hospital Auxiliary, New Hope Village, Holy Spirit Rug Makers, and assisted with Bingo at St. Anthony Nursing Home in Carroll.

Ruth belonged to four card clubs and also enjoyed cross stitching, gambling, puzzles, watching television, Iowa State Basketball and going to the Recreation Center in Carroll. Her greatest joy was her family and she always enjoyed attending her grandchildren's ballgames and their other various activities. Her greatest accomplishment in life was raising her eight children as a single parent.

Survivors include her daughters: Ann (Pat) McAlister of Bayard; Beverly (Gordy) Miller of Storm Lake; Cynthia (Darren) Hudson of Mesa, Arizona; and Faith (Jim) Steinkamp of Carroll; her sons: Duane Vanderheiden and friend Kathy Spindler of Omaha, Nebraska; Edward Vanderheiden of Carroll; and Gary (Julie) Vanderheiden of Arlington, Texas; her grandchildren: Jake (Bridget) Galligan of Whittemore; Ryan McAlister of Coon Rapids; Andy (Jamie) McAlister of Coon Rapids; Erin McAlister of Portland Oregon; Kaitlin (Thomas) Geake of Wall Lake; Jessica McAlister of Maryville, Missouri and her fiancé Tyler Ruse of Tabor; Martin and Patrick McAlister of Bayard; Aaron and Dawson Miller of Storm Lake; Corey, Nick, and Lukas Vanderheiden of Omaha, Nebraska; and Dillon Walsh of Carroll; 17 great-grandchildren; her sister: Marie Sextro of Carroll; her brothers: Leo Sextro of Manning, Leonard (Laurie) Sextro of Manning, and Norbert (Dora) Sextro of Surprise, Arizona; her in-laws: Karen Vanderheiden of Carroll, Richard Vanderheiden of Auburn, Mike (Marlene) Vanderheiden of Carroll, and Patrick Vanderheiden of Lake City; as well as many nieces, nephews, other extended relatives and many friends.

Ruth was preceded in death by her son Thomas Vanderheiden; her grandchildren: Thomas James McAlister and Sarah Rose Miller; her parents; her siblings: Edna Sextro, Helen (Joe) Lampe, Ed Sextro, Herb (Janet) Sextro, Dorothy (Leon) Masching, and Maxine Meier; and her niece, Terri Buffington.