Ruth Orilee (Dyar) Breidenstein died peacefully on July 12, 2023 at Creamery Creek Senior Living in Viroqua, WI surrounded by the love of family and friends in person and in spirit. Ruth was born on August 7, 1930 to Richard and Edith (Teeters) Dyar in La Farge, Wisconsin. She lived in La Farge until the middle of her high school years when her family moved to a farm outside Valley, Wisconsin. She graduated from Hillsboro High School in 1948 and attended Normal School in Viroqua for two years to earn her teaching certificate. Her first teaching job was at Eastman school, a one-room school not too far from the farm where she lived with her parents.
Ruth met and married the love of her life, Beauford Breidenstein, in 1952. After her marriage she also taught in Ontario and West Salem while Beauford worked and attended UW-LaCrosse. They moved to Edgerton in 1957 where they met many life-long friends. In 1963, Delavan became their home for most of the rest of their lives. Ruth and Beauford had: three children Rychie Breidenstein, Julie (Larry) Los, and Tim (Jackie) Breidenstein; 7 granddaughters: Jenna, Lauren (Grant), Mattie (Josh), Macie (Hank), Kyra (Damion), Alana (Spencer) and Jorian; and six great grandchildren. Ruth taught math at Phoenix Middle School in Delavan for over 30 years.
She earned her undergraduate and Master’s degrees at UW Whitewater in 1967 and 1977 respectively. When she graduated in ‘67 she was recruited to teach math at Phoenix by then principal, David Curry. Ruth and Beauford were the first couple to both be allowed to teach in the Delavan school district at the same time. She loved to sing in choirs, beginning with a community choir in Valley (from which a friend—and later brother-in-law, put her in touch with Beauford), church choirs in Edgerton and Delavan, and for many years she and Rychie sang with the Milton Community Choir. She was a longtime and faithful member of the United Methodist Church in Delavan. Ruth also loved to camp, travel, sight-see and go to McDonald’s for breakfast, a Big Mac, or ice cream.
A visitation will be held on Monday, July 17, 2023 from 4:30p.m. until service at 6p.m. at the FUNERAL HOME (118 S. 2nd St, Delavan, WI). Second visitation will be held on Tuesday, July 18, 2023 at the Picha Funeral Home (908 Prairie Ave, Hillsboro, WI) from 10a.m. until service at 11a.m. Burial will follow at Forest Burr Cemetery with funeral luncheon at the Valley Community Center.
Memorials may be given in lieu of flower donations to St. Jude Children Research Hospital.
Lazarczyk Family Funeral Home of Delavan, WI is proudly serving the family.
