Obituary for Ruth Marie Veltrop (Gaessler)
Ruth Marie Veltrop (Gaessler) passed away peacefully surrounded by loving family at Milestone
Senior Living in Hillsboro Wisconsin on March 22 2021. At 96 her life was full and well lived.
She was born to William and Myrtle Gaessler on July 3rd 1924 in Ames, Iowa. She graduated
from Iowa State University with a degree in nutrition. Ruth was working at a hospital in Boston
when she met her husband, Jan A. Veltrop, an engineering student at MIT. They married in June
of 1952 and raised their family in Illinois with a three year sabbatical to the University of
Nsukka, Nigeria where her husband was the Dean of Engineering. She later moved to Wisconsin
after her husband passed.
Ruth was a homemaker who did a lot of volunteering and loved to travel and read. She visited
every continent and saw many of the great wonders of the world. She devoured information
about the places they would visit and her Christmas letters were a travelogue of that years
adventures. She also enjoyed camping, sailing and canoeing. Although she loved reading a great
variety of books, she especially enjoyed historical fiction. Her twilight years were spent doing
what she loved most – reading – this time as many mystery books as possible and enjoying
visits with her daughter, son-in-law and Tico the “circus“ dog.
Survivors include son Loren (Gayle) Veltrop of Chicago IL, daughter Wendy (Charles) Manser of
Hillsboro, WI; grandchildren Richard (Tina) Manser of Las Vegas NV, Taylor (Asami) Veltrop of
Paris France, Lindsay (Joe) Colla of Chicago IL, Lisa Veltrop of Madison WI and Jesse Veltrop of
Madison WI, brother Bill (Carol) Gaessler and niece Julie and family of Colorado Springs and
nephew Gary and family of Denver CO.
She was preceded in death by her parents, husband, son Brian Veltrop and grandson Christofer
Manser.
Senior Living in Hillsboro Wisconsin on March 22 2021. At 96 her life was full and well lived.
She was born to William and Myrtle Gaessler on July 3rd 1924 in Ames, Iowa. She graduated
from Iowa State University with a degree in nutrition. Ruth was working at a hospital in Boston
when she met her husband, Jan A. Veltrop, an engineering student at MIT. They married in June
of 1952 and raised their family in Illinois with a three year sabbatical to the University of
Nsukka, Nigeria where her husband was the Dean of Engineering. She later moved to Wisconsin
after her husband passed.
Ruth was a homemaker who did a lot of volunteering and loved to travel and read. She visited
every continent and saw many of the great wonders of the world. She devoured information
about the places they would visit and her Christmas letters were a travelogue of that years
adventures. She also enjoyed camping, sailing and canoeing. Although she loved reading a great
variety of books, she especially enjoyed historical fiction. Her twilight years were spent doing
what she loved most – reading – this time as many mystery books as possible and enjoying
visits with her daughter, son-in-law and Tico the “circus“ dog.
Survivors include son Loren (Gayle) Veltrop of Chicago IL, daughter Wendy (Charles) Manser of
Hillsboro, WI; grandchildren Richard (Tina) Manser of Las Vegas NV, Taylor (Asami) Veltrop of
Paris France, Lindsay (Joe) Colla of Chicago IL, Lisa Veltrop of Madison WI and Jesse Veltrop of
Madison WI, brother Bill (Carol) Gaessler and niece Julie and family of Colorado Springs and
nephew Gary and family of Denver CO.
She was preceded in death by her parents, husband, son Brian Veltrop and grandson Christofer
Manser.