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Ruth García-González
(María del Refugio González)
Born December 27, 1920 in Omaha, Nebraska and was a resident of Toledo, Ohio area since 1932, passed away on February 6, 2010, surrounded by her loving family.
Ruth, on December 29, 2009, has just received recognition by then Toledo Mayor Carty Finkbeiner, as being part of the González family, that had done so much for Toledo and Latino causes. The González family was one of the early Latino families to reside in Toledo.
Ruth was a local, state, and national activist, an advocate for civil rights and voters registration, as well as immigration reform. Ruth and her sister Aurora founded “La Voz del Barrio.” With the support base of two hundred Latino families, she directly impacted South-End city projects ending in the actualization of the Aurora González Community Center, providing an array of health services for children to seniors.
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Ruth García-González
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A Toledo street was named Ruth González García Way (from Anthony Wayne Trail to Broadway). In 1997, Ruth was awarded The Lifetime Achievement Award from the Hispanic Leadership Institute.
As recent as 2008, Ruth received the César Chávez Humanitarian Award from Adelante, Inc., for lifetime contributions to the community. In September of 2009, she was inducted into Ohio’s Civil Rights Hall of Fame and the end of 2009 received the award: Glass Key to The City of Toledo, honoring the González family. She was also a proud member of The Catholic War Veterans Auxiliary.
Ruth retired from the Toledo Board of Education in 1988 from food service management after twenty-six years. She worked for various restaurants and bakeries as well as Willy’s Overland and the Toledo Box Lunch program in the late thirties and during WWII years.
Ruth married Tech-Sergeant, Fred S. García Sr. (U.S. Army) at Our Lady of Guadalupe Mission. Ruth was widowed after forty-three years of marriage in 1986.
Ruth García was a long time member of Immaculate Conception Parish where she raised her seven children, and Saint Charles Parish until residing at the Sacred Heart Home for the last decade.
Ruth was preceded in death by son Richard, brother Frank, Manuel, Fritz, Sylvester Jr., Sisters Aurora, Maria Sue, Josephine, and Eleanor.
She is survived by her children Frederick (Linda), Alice Sutton (James Pemberton), Ruth Ann (Terry) Mohler, Raymond (Cheryl), Ron and John García; and niece, Isabel Rojas Dailey; brothers, Peter (Jessie) and Anthony (Irene) González; sisters, Sr María José, OSU, and Salud Cortez; fifteen grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren, nieces, nephews; she was Madrina to many.
Contributions may be sent to Sisters of the Monistary of The Visitation, Parkside Blvd., Little Sisters of The Poor.
On the Internet: https://laprensatoledo.com/Stories/2010/010810/Awards.htm
Ruth González with her husband Fred García, Sr.
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