Obituary of Ruth Marie Bessel

Ruth M. Bessel Ruth Marie (Uhl) Bessel, 86, of Searsport, Maine, passed away peaceably on July 1, 2016 in Belfast. She was born in New York, N.Y. on Oct. 31, 1929. Mrs. Bessel moved to Danbury, Conn. and then to New Fairfield, Conn. in 1945. She was a member of the Danbury High School Class of 1947. She and her husband were married in 1948 and raised five loving children. She was a member of the New Fairfield Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, its Women’s Group, and its church choir. She worked as a teacher’s aide in the New Fairfield Middle School, and then in the Town Hall as secretary for the Health Dept. for many years, moving to Searsport, Maine with her husband upon her retirement in 1992. Here she volunteered for many years as a hospital aide member at the Waldo County General Hospital in Belfast, and in the Carver Memorial Library Children’s Dept. in Searsport. Since 1992, she was a member of the Searsport First Congregational Church, its Religious Education Committee, its Women’s Fellowship, and was a Sunday school teacher. She loved having a large family and enjoyed their holiday get-togethers and cook-outs. She will be remembered for her strong faith, her immense love for family, her thoughtfulness, courage and strength. She was predeceased by her beloved husband of 63 years, Richard “Richie”, her mother, Sophie (Kees/Uhl) Hinz, stepfather, Karl “Charlie” Hinz, and sister, Irene “Mitzi” (Henze) Yachulke. She is survived by her five loving children and their spouses, Cynthia (Bessel) Prusski and Jeffrey of Maine, Nancy (Bessel) Cook and Thomas of the Philippines, Richard Bessel, Jr., Vickie Bessel and Lew Latanzi, all of Connecticut, and Michael Bessel and Kisha of North Carolina; nine beloved grandchildren, Melinda (McGarty) Webb and her husband Rich, Matthew Ferretti and his wife Heather, Taarak Prusski, Myrta (Prusski) Coleman and her husband Chris, Kristen Bessel, Caitlin Bessel, Michaela Bessel, Richard Bessel lll, and Christian Ronald Cook; and four dear great-grandchildren, Morgan Webb, Sydney Webb, Leah Hernandez, and Luke Hernandez. She is also survived by her very dear cousin Nancy (Paulson) Mele and her husband Peter of N.Y., and many dear nieces and nephews. A memorial service and reception will be held on Sunday, July 31 at 2:00 p.m. at the Searsport First Congregational Church. Her family will have a private burial service the following day at Elmwood Cemetery in Searsport. Memorial gifts may be made in her honor to the Searsport First Congregational Church. Arrangements are under the care of Riposta Funeral Home in Belfast.