Obituary Gerald P. Fruth - Class of 1945

MADISON - Gerald P. Fruth, age 78, of Madison, died on Friday, April 7, 2006, at home, after a long illness, surrounded by his family. He was born on Nov. 2, 1927, in Madison, the son of Joseph Fruth and Irene (Harrington) Fruth. He attended St. Raphael's Elementary School, Central High School and graduated from UW-Madison in 1951. He was a veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps. He retired from the housekeeping department of UW-Madison in 1993. He was a member of St. James Catholic Church. He is survived by his wife, Beverly (Bannister) Fruth; his five children, Marilyn (Lee Konrad) Fruth and their daughters, Adriana and Michaela; Susan Fruth; Mark Fruth, all of Madison; Margaret (James G. Marshall III) Fruth-Marshall of Holt, Mich. and their daughters, Alyssa and Natalie; and Kathleen (Danny) Viernes of Kauai, Hawaii and their children, Kaitlin, Kendra and Kian; his brother, Marvin (Beatrice) Fruth; and his two sisters, Josephine (Dennis) Rodgerson and Gail (Richard) Bugdanow; brother-in-law, Roy (Joyce) Bannister; and many nieces, nephews, and other relatives. He was preceded in death by his parents; stepmother, Verna (Holzbower) Fruth; sister-in-law, Helen (Harold) Anderson; and his son, John Jay Fruth. A Memorial Mass of Christian Burial will be held at ST. JAMES CATHOLIC CHURCH, 1134 St. James Court, Madison, on Tuesday, April 11, 2006, at 1 p.m. Monsignor Tom Baxter will officiate with inurnment in Resurrection Cemetery. Friends may call after noon at the church on Tuesday, until the service time. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to HospiceCare Inc. 5395 E. Cheryl Parkway, Madison, WI 53711. A special thanks to the staff member of HospiceCare who assisted us in Jerry's care during his final days. Joyce-Ryan Funeral Home & Cremation Services 5701 Odana Road (608) 274-1000

Originally published in the Wisconsin State Journal on April 10, 2006