Ruth Heiser

Ruth A. Heiser of Port Washington devoted herself to others.

She worked full time as a nurse, and also served as the Ozaukee County deputy coroner for 12 years and was an emergency medical technician with the Port Washington Fire Department.

She also volunteered for a number of causes, especially at St. John XXIII Parish. She was a member of the Christian Women and a lay minister who brought Communion to the homebound and nursing home residents. She also led rosary prayer groups.

“She really was busy all the time,” her daughter Kathy Rismeyer said. “Not much slowed her down.”

Mrs. Heiser’s belief in giving back to others was instilled in her by her parents, who were also avid volunteers, her daughter said.

“She always had the desire to do whatever she could to help,” she said.

Mrs. Heiser died of congestive heart failure Friday, Dec. 14, at the Harbor Club in Port Washington, where she lived. She was 84.

Mrs. Heiser was born in Sheboygan on Jan. 12, 1934, the daughter of Arthur and Julia Deppiesse Mueller.

She grew up on the family farm on Highway 57 in Random Lake and graduated from Random Lake High School in 1952.

She attended St. Agnes School of Nursing in Fond du Lac.

On Sept. 29, 1956, she married James Heiser at St. Nicholas Catholic Church in Dacada.

The couple settled in Port Washington, where Mrs. Heiser worked on the maternity wing at St. Alphonsus Hospital for 18 years.

She later became a nurse for Dr. Fema So Garay, working for the obstetrician-gynecologist for 25 years, until Mrs. Heiser’s retirement.

“She loved babies,” her daughter said.

Mrs. Heiser loved to bake and cook, she said, and was noted for her sweet rolls and sticky buns, as well as homemade bread.

“You always had that smell of baking bread in the house,” her daughter said.

Mrs. Heiser passed that love of baking to her grandchildren, she said.

“It was not unusual to have six or seven grandchildren over getting their hands in the flour and baking with her,” her granddaughter said.

Mrs. Heiser and her husband enjoyed traveling. They took their cruising motorcycle on trips throughout Wisconsin and out of the state, and also enjoyed taking cruises with friends and family, especially their oldest daughter Amy DeBroux and her sister Carol Hiller.

Mrs. Heiser liked knitting, crocheting and sewing, and she made many of her children’s clothes when they were young.

“She was pretty crafty,” her daughter said. “I don’t know when she had the time.”

Mrs. Heiser also enjoyed playing bridge and dancing, and she loved the holidays, particularly Christmas and Easter.

“She set an example for all us kids,” her daughter said. “She was very devoted and dedicated to her mission, whether it was work or play.”

Mrs. Heiser is survived by her husband Jim of Port Washington; children Amy (Dean) DeBroux of Fort Myers, Fla., Mary Sue (Roland) Klotz of Menomonee Falls, Patti (Jeff) Scholten of Lakeville, Minn., Kathy (Paul) Rismeyer and Teri (Jerry) Weiss, both of Port Washington, and Tom (Sandy) Heiser of Meridian, Miss.; 15 grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren.

She is further survived by her sisters Marilyn (Bob) Jacoby of Plymouth and Carol (Bill) Hiller of Hazelhurst and sister-in-law Judy Mueller of Fort Atkinson.

Mrs. Heiser was preceded in death by her parents, granddaughter Angela Scholten and brothers Joseph and Roger Mueller.

A Mass of Christian burial for Mrs. Heiser will be held at 6 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 20, at St. John XXIII Parish, St. Peter of Alcantara Catholic Church, in Port Washington. Father Patrick Wendt will officiate.

Visitation will be at the church Thursday from 3 p.m. until the service.

Burial will be in St. Mary’s Cemetery, Port Washington.

Memorials to the Alzheimer’s Association or St. John XXIII Parish are suggested.

Eernisse Funeral Home, Port Washington, is handling the arrangements.