Nursing Home Friendship

This past thursday while visiting with Grandma B. she told me about a lady she had struck up a relationship with. Her pastor from the United Methodist Church had suggested she meet Ruth, who was a blind lady, but went to their church and lived at the Nursing Home also. Grandma met Ruth and they bonded; however Wed. morning Grandma had noted that the attendants had run down the hall pushing Ruth - and yes Ruth had died. Grandma said Ruth was a delightful person; she had a grandson and wife who came to see her quite often. The grandson/wife would visit at least once a week at night; and often many times during the week the wife would come in over her lunch hour and feed Ruth. But those times, which were rare, when Ruth had to feed herself she would joke to Grandma B. about 'getting more food on the outside of her stomach rather than inside it.' Grandma said she thought Ruth's last name was Slagle....and it was.

I didn't read about Ruth's death in the paper, but I did contact my cousin Denny, whose ancestry.com site is probably the largest one in our whole family. He emailed me back saying that this 'Schegel' wasn't related; however upon reading the obituary he found out she was related by her maiden name to his other side of his family. Then it I found out that 'Slagel' was the Americanization of the German name 'Schegel' which probably threw us both off. Wow, another coming together, a continuing example of two families, unaware of previous genealogy, coming together! I love it though I doubt I'll tell mom, she won't get excited about it.

Then as I was contemplating this, my former office manager, who also is our church treasurer told me there are 'Schegel's in the same county I live in .... well
this will entail more detective work I'm sure.