Winifred Lucille Rupert

Rupert Winifred Lucille (nee Bender) Rupert, Friendship Village of Dublin, Dublin, Ohio, died peacefully in her sleep on January 30, 2015. She was born to Homer and Inez Mathilda Bender on January 17, 1917, the youngest of five children, in Lancaster, Ohio. She graduated from Lancaster High School in 1934. She studied business to become a bookkeeper working for the Ford automobile agency and Anchor Hocking Glass in Lancaster. She met Floyd D. Rupert (F.D.) an Assistant Manager of the F.W. Woolworth store in Lancaster. He joined the military to serve in World War II and they stayed in contact with each other. Winnie decided to join the Navy and was sworn into the WAVES on August 19, 1944. She wrote to F.D. stating that it was the greatest thrill of her life. She was stationed at the naval base in Cleveland, Ohio where she worked as a bookkeeper. She and F. D. were married in Lancaster, Ohio on August 24, 1946. They made their first home in Cleveland where F.D. was manager of a Woolworth store and Winnie worked in the company offices as a bookkeeper. A Woolworth promotion took them to St. Mathews, Kentucky, where their daughter Joyce Ann was born in December 1949. Another transfer took them to the Youngstown, Ohio area in the mid 1950's. In 1959, F.D. decided to join the family propane gas business, Ohio Gas & Appliance Company in Columbus and the family eventually settled in Worthington in 1960. In Worthington, Winnie was active in the Worthington Historical Society and the Worthington Women's Club. She was also a very active member of Ascension Lutheran Church and especially the Booher Class Study Group and its fellowship. F. D. and Winnie purchased the Robbins Variety Store at the corner of Woodruff and High Street across from the Ohio State University campus in 1967. Winnie helped manage the store and served as the bookkeeper until they sold the store in 1971. Winnie later served as Secretary of Ohio Gas & Appliance until it was sold in 1999. For over 40 years, Winnie was an active participant within the Ohio Propane Gas Association. In addition, she was well known within the National Propane Gas Association for many years attending meetings and events traveling with F. D. when he served as Ohio's National Director. Winnie thoroughly enjoyed traveling the U. S. along with several trips to Europe during this time. Both Winnie and F.D. were avid fans of Ohio State sports, holding season tickets to home football and basketball games. Even after the death of F.D., Winnie continued to attend the games, as recently as this current academic year. In fact, on Thursday evening, January 29, not being up to actually attending the game, Winnie spent the evening with her friend, Janet, watching the OSU-Maryland basketball game on television, cheering the Buckeyes on to victory. Following the death of F.D. in 2003, Winnie moved to Friendship Village of Dublin where she made many friends, went on most excursions, played cards and thoroughly enjoyed her new home. She also participated in the book club and Bible Study groups. Winnie was preceded in death by her husband F.D., their daughter Joyce Kerze, her four siblings and a niece and nephew. She is survived by her granddaughter, Amanda Kerze; her son-in-law, Allan Kerze and her daughter-in-law, Charlene Bartholomew Kerze; and nephew, David (Nalini) Rupert, from the Columbus area. Surviving out of town nieces are Jane Goepper, Carolyn Black, Nancy (Josef) Jordon, Karen (Ronald) Gardner, Janet (Larry) Figgins, Mary "Jeannie" Schaefer, and Melody (Scott) McClarren. Surviving out of town nephews are James (Susan) Black, Jr., Franklin (Debra) Bender, and John (Pat) Bender. She is also survived by numerous grandnieces, grandnephews, great grandnieces and great grandnephews. In addition, she is survived by her good friend, Janet Popa of Upper Arlington. She was a remarkable, elegant, and ageless woman zestfully enjoying life to its fullest extent. She embraced her family, recently extended family, and friends and was a great hostess. She loved family holiday events and decorating her home especially during the Christmas Season. For years, she carried on her mother's tradition of having the family gather in her home to celebrate Thanksgiving. A feast, with at least a 30-pound turkey, was always a high point of her life and the life of her larger family. She was a talented seamstress and also mastered the art of embroidery, having created some exquisite pieces. In addition, she loved miniatures and created a number of doll houses furnished with beautiful "oriental rugs" created in petit point as well as tiny draperies and bed hangings that she embroidered. She donated a few of her more elaborate doll houses to the doll house museum in Carmel, Indiana. In addition to the doll houses, she created some miniature "boxes" that represent a country kitchen and a bordello, among others. She also collected antiques, in particular Teddy bears, dolls and toys. Both Winnie and F.D. were generous donors to various charities and most especially to the Ascension Lutheran Church where they have sponsored an annual holiday brass band concert for many years. Funeral arrangements are being handled by the RUTHERFORD-CORBIN FUNERAL HOME, 515 HIGH ST, WORTHINGTON, OHIO 43085, where visitation will be held on Thursday, February 5 from 3-6:30 p.m. On Friday, February 6, there will be a visitation at Ascension Lutheran Church, 1479 Morse Road, Columbus, Ohio 43229 from 9:30-10:30 a.m. just prior to the church service at 10:30 a.m. In lieu of flowers, donations in Winnie's memory may be made to Friendship Village of Dublin, 6000 Riverside Dr., Dublin, Ohio 43017, to the Rev. John R. Bender Memorial Fund of Trinity Seminary, 2199 East Main Street, Bexley, Ohio 43209 (in honor of her oldest brother who was a Lutheran pastor) or to Ascension Lutheran Church's Memorial Fund to support the Brass Band Concert Fund, 1479 Morse Road, Columbus, Ohio 43229.

Winifred Lucille Rupert

January 17, 1917 - January 30, 2015