Ruth E. Muntis

Ruth Elizabeth Muntis, 98, of Lakeside passed away Saturday, May 29, 2021 at Otterbein North Shore, Lakeside, OH. She was born August 26, 1922 in Crestline, OH the daughter of William H. and Velma (Sabin) Muntis. Ruth’s music career started in third grade at Leesville school when her father sold two wagon loads of corn to purchase her first flute. Ruth graduated from Leesville High School and Baldwin Wallace College in 1947 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Music Education. She taught music for two years in Bellville, OH and three years in Seaside, Oregon. She moved to Ann Arbor, MI to pursue graduate work at the University of Michigan and spent one summer at Interlochen, where she said “you breathed, ate and slept music”. In 1953 she accepted a position to start a music program at Fort Gratiot Intermediate School in Port Huron, MI. She retired from there in 1978 after 25 years. While in Michigan, she was principal flutist for the International Symphony Orchestra of Michigan and Ontario, Canada for over 20 years and was a Messiah soloist. After retiring Ruth moved to Lakeside where she had the family built and owned cottage updated to become a year-round residence. She was a member of Lakeside United Methodist Church for 43 years where she sang in the choir, directed the bell choir and recorder group and was an officer in United Methodist Women. Retirement years provided time for extensive travel throughout the U.S. and Europe staying at many Elder Hostels. She enjoyed many new hobbies, such as learning to sail a small boat. She discovered she had a talent for water coloring and has shared many paintings with family and friends, as well as selling notecards of her various paintings. As a member of the church quilting group, she completed her first quilt in 1981. Over the next 40 years she made quilts for family members and friends or finished quilts that others had started. An exact number of quilts is not known, but a best estimate would be well over 75 quilts. She gave private flute and piano lessons well into her retirement and taught many summer classes at Lakeside. She moved to Otterbein Senior Living in 2009 but remained active in the Lakeside Community. She is survived by many nieces, nephews, great-nieces and nephews and great-great-nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents, three sisters, one brother and their spouses. Funeral services will be conducted 11:00 am Thursday, June 3, 2021 at Lakeside United Methodist Church, 450 Central Ave., Lakeside, OH where visitation will be held from 10:00 am until the time of the service. Interment services will be held Thursday afternoon at 1:30 pm at Crestline Cemetery, Crestline, OH. Memorial contributions may be given to Lakeside United Methodist Church. Online condolences may be shared with the family at www.neideckercrosserpriesman.com . Neidecker, Crosser & Priesman Funeral Home & Cremation Service, Peninsula Chapel is handling the arrangements.