Ruth Elizabeth Brickhouse

Mrs. Ruth Elizabeth Brickhouse of Yellow Springs passed away on April 10, 2023, at 101 years old.

She was the wife of Delton Brickhouse Sr. who passed away in January 1986. They were married for 40 years.

Ruth was born July 4, 1921, in Yellow Springs. She was the daughter of the late Byron Ellsworth Harley and the late Grace Ramsburg Harley. She was the last of her immediate family.

Ruth graduated from Elm Street High School in 1939. She worked several jobs in Frederick and then took the Civil Service Exam and moved to Washington, D.C. to work at the Pentagon. She liked working at the Pentagon, but disliked living in Washington, so when there was an opening at Fort Detrick she moved back to Frederick and worked at Ft. Detrick until her retirement.

After her retirement, she volunteered at the Information Desk at Frederick Memorial Hospital every other Sunday afternoon for 16 years. She was a member of Brook Hill United Methodist Church for 84 years and a member of the senior citizens group at the church called the Wise Owls. She was a member of the Frederick Memorial Hospital Auxiliary, a member of the American Legion Auxiliary Post #11 and a life member of the Retired Federal Employees Chapter 409. She was a Den Mother to Cub Scout Troop #276. She was a babysitter for her granddaughter, Angie, 5 days a week for 12 years.

Ruth is survived by a son, Delton Brickhouse, Jr. and wife Pamela of Thurmont, MD, a granddaughter, Angela M. Brickhouse of Pasadena, MD, a daughter-in-law, Teresa Brickhouse of Boonsboro, MD, and a number of nieces, nephews and cousins.

Ruth enjoyed crafts, embroidery, piecing quilts, gardening, one-day bus trips, collecting cookbooks, eating out, writing poems, circle a word books, NASCAR races, Washington Nationals baseball and most of all spending time with her immediate family, her church family, her neighbor, Maurine Steel, and her friend, Peg Bruckart.

She was proceeded in death by her parents, a son, Douglas Harley Brickhouse of Boonsboro, MD, a sister, Kathleen Keefer of Yellow Springs, two brothers, Marion Ellsworth Harley of Tucson, AZ and Byron Theodore Harley of Hagerstown, MD.

There will be a viewing at Keeney and Basford Funeral Home in Frederick from 1-4pm on Sunday, April 16. The funeral service will be held on Monday, April 17 at 11am at Brook Hill United Methodist Church in Yellow Springs with Pastor Dana Werts officiating. The arrangements are with Keeney and Basford Funeral Home.

In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to Brook Hill United Methodist Church, 8946 Indian Springs Road Frederick, MD 21702.

Interment will follow the service at Mt. Olivet Cemetery in Frederick.

The family would like to thank the staff at Autumn Lake Glade Valley for providing compassionate care while she was briefly there. We would also like to thank Peg Bruckart and the Pastors at Brook Hill for always being by her side.