Ruth Elsie Brill, 99, formerly of Austin, Minnesota, died Nov. 1, 2016, in Boca Raton, Florida.

She was born on March 17, 1917, in Green County township of Brooklyn, Wisconsin. Ruth was the only child of Hanna and William Behnke.

Ruth grew up on an 80-acre farm helping her parents with milking and feeding the chickens, in Dayton Wisconsin. She met her husband, Marvin, while attending Stevens Point State Teachers College in Stevens Point, Wisconsin, where she received a degree in home economics and art.

Ruth and Marvin were married in 1940 and moved to Austin where they purchased the Peggy Ann store. The name was later changed to Marvin’s. When Marvin joined the Army Air Corps, Ruth ran the women’s clothing store.  She broke the glass ceiling at a young age and kept climbing ever since!

Ruth had a varied career, teaching home economics and art at St. Augustine Grade School; serving as president at both the Austin BPW and Austin YWCA; and president of the local chapter of the Girl Scouts.

In 1956 Ruth took a pioneer cross country road trip with eight screaming girls to the birthplace of the Girl Scouts in Savannah, Georgia, in a 1956 Buick Road Master station wagon, blessed by the priest from St. Augustine church.

The family moved to a farm north of Austin in 1959. For her it was like going home, except she had an affinity for fine clothes and always being overdressed.  This became a problem when the cows got into the cornfield. You could see her leading the charge of chasing the cows in her high heels.

If something needed to be done, she jumped to the cause. When someone needed something, she was there.  When two young boys needed a foster home, she took them in; when someone needed plane fare, a hot meal, or a stern lecture about never giving up, she was there to provide it.

Ruth and Marvin moved to Florida in 1980 where she became involved with quilting circles and taught three quilting classes weekly, until the school district made her retire at the age of 95.

She was a lifetime member of the Gold Coast Quilters Guild. During that time she developed many close friends and students; they adopted her as their mom. After she retired, they continued to come to her home for quilting classes and socializing. We will forever be grateful to these ladies who befriended and supported Mom, literally to her dying day. Your friendship and support have meant so much to us all!

She is survived by her four children,  Suzanne McCarter, and Mark, Bruce and Robert Brill; grandchildren, Colleen McCarter Bloom, Catherine and Robert McCarter, Owen and Ava Brill, Laura Brill Elmore, Matthew and Charles Brill, Christopher Brill; and great-grandchildren, Thor, Gabby, Ellie, Emanon, Sophie, Herschel, and William; and honorary children of the Brill family, Kristina Harmon, Karen Austin and Steve Thornton.

She was preceded in death by husband Marvin Brill.

Visitation is Friday, Dec. 9, from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at Babione Funeral Home, 1100 Federal Highway, Boca Raton, Florida, 561-395-8787.

Funeral services will be held at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday, Dec.10, at St. Ambrose Catholic Church, 380 S. Federal Highway, Deerfield Beach, Florida, 33441.

In lieu of flowers please make  donations to Ruth E. Brill Fund for underprivileged boys and girls who are interested in sewing by providing sewing machines. In care of Ruth E. Brill Fund,  11700 Vista Drive, Minnetonka, Minnesota, 55343.