Ruth Rosalie Anderson (nee Schissler)
June 7, 1942-June 5, 2026
Ruth Rosalie Anderson (nee Schissler) - June 7, 1942-June 5, 2026
Ruth went to that “better place” after vascular dementia robbed her of a meaningful life.
Ruth’s son, Scott and husband, David were with her as were her beloved dachshunds “Ben” and “Eli”. Ben died five days after Ruth at the age of 17. Ruth was pre-deceased by her father John J., her mother Mary Rosalie nee Gray, her sister Elizabeth Louise, and her brother John II and his wife, Leona.
In the late 1950’s, the Schissler family moved from Spangler, Pennsylvania to Baltimore and eventually Aberdeen, MD. Before and after graduation from St. Stephen’s High School near Belair, MD, “Aunt” Ruth spent her time babysitting her brother’s 12 kids, working as a waitress, honing her archery skills and acing her written pilots tests. She worked on an assembly line at BATA Shoe which allowed her to purchase her first car, a ’60 Corvair.
She found an apartment and with it a lifelong friend and eventual Maid of Honor, Judee Chatham. They both began work at Aberdeen Proving Grounds in the early computer key punch department. Her love of cars never wavered so she moved up to a 1972 Olds’ hardtop.
Ruth met husband-to-be of 52 years, David, on a blind date. When he saw Ruth under the Olds’ hood changing plugs and points, Dave knew she was a “keeper”. Exactly one year later, on November 2, 1974, they were married at Joan of Arc church in Aberdeen, MD.
The couple moved to Dave’s hometown of Elkridge,MD. She worked computers at the Social Security Headquarters at Woodlawn, moving on to photography at the NSA somewhere near Washington, D.C. Ruth furthered her photography skills at Maryland Institute of Art in Balto and produced slide programs of B & O Railroad historical interest for Elkridge Heritage Society. She also helped to revive the Elkridge Carnival for the town’s Professional and Business Association, and to found its first newspaper “The Viaduct”, circ. 10k.
Despite a cervical cancer scare, Scott arrived safe and sound on March 4, 1982. After the death of Dave’s mom, matriarch of the family company, Ai (Anderson Industries) Fiberglass, Ruth became the office manager/treasurer. Scott spent many days of his early childhood in a playpen in mom’s office. Over time she became Cub Scout den mother, catcher on a ladies softball team, soccer mom, failed gardener and an enthusiastic cheerleader and fervent enabler of her son’s and husband’s goals.Ruth joked that marrying Dave doomed her piloting dreams, but she spent many hours co-piloting their hot-rodded ’40 Ford to events across the country. They took one trip through 13 states where they saw sites like the Wisconsin Dells, Mt. Rushmore, Yellowstone, Grand Tetons, Cheyenne Rodeo and even Wall Drugs! Due to mechanical problems with the Ford, she couldn’t take on Pikes Peak, but years later she drove Scott and her parents up Mt. Washington. In total, she traveled 39 states, the UK, Canada’s maritime provinces, Nassau and St. Thomas. She was a grand adventurer.
Ruth’s favorite trips were to their camp on Harvey’s Lake in Barnet, VT. She dreamed of flying an amphibian there, but instead drove up on Friday nights. Her worst trips were heading back on Sundays the 600 miles to Maryland after a weekend on Harvey’s. So, after the sale of their company in 1996 she was able to spent summers with Scott and her mom at the lake. With Dave’s retirement in 2007 they moved to Danville, VT. Ruth stayed busy. She became the treasurer of the Lake Harvey Association. Her designs won the lake’s boat parade twice with “Steamboat Willie” (in an outboard powered rowboat on choppy water) and later reprising a PEPSI SUPERBOWL only commercial featuring a “skyboarder” offering 3 life- size flying geese sips of soda. She was elected to the same office of the Barnet Historical Society. She worked at the Barnet Senior Meal Site until 2020. She was an integral part of the team, along with Dave and their friend, Dylan Ford, that planned Barnet’s 250th celebration in 2013. The team had so much fun with that, they went on to host the 100th anniversary of the last Connecticut long log drive, Caledonia Day, and traveled to Tunbridge for many Vermont History Expo weekends lugging handmade exhibits and touting Barnet’s exciting history.