Ruth Louise Laufenburger, age 91, passed away peacefully in Nicholasville, Kentucky on January 17, 2026.

Our mom was born Ruth Louise Knapp in a farmhouse in Brisbin, Pennsylvania. In her early childhood, her family moved to Cleveland, Ohio, where she spent her formative years. She was the eldest of three children, with two brothers, Kenneth (Bernadette) and Clifford (Linda).

While living in Cleveland, our mom attended Fenn College—now Cleveland State University—where she studied office management. It was there that she met Robert “Bob” Laufenburger. They were married on May 28, 1955, beginning a marriage marked by devotion, faithfulness, and love. Our mom was faithful to our dad for 57 years. In all our years growing up, we never heard our parents raise their voices to one another in anger. In the later years of his life, she lovingly cared for him at home, tending to his health and needs with patience and quiet strength.

Over the years, Mom also accompanied Dad on several business trips that took them overseas—traveling to Europe, including Germany, Switzerland, Spain, as well as to Canada and Japan—experiences she carried with gratitude and quiet joy.

Together, our parents raised four children: Karen (Dave White), Kurt (Lori), Kent (Gina), and Karl (Wanda). Over the years, our family lived in many places, including Pennsylvania, Indiana, New York, Hawaii, Connecticut, and finally Kentucky. Wherever our mom lived, she made it a home—one marked by warmth, hospitality and a deep sense of care for others.

Our mom worked at various times outside the home, including her first position at the Roto Hoe Company. She later served as a church secretary at the Methodist Church in Yorktown Heights, New York, and at Kilohana United Methodist Church in Honolulu, Hawaii. For most of her life, she was a devoted stay-at-home mother. While we were in school, she also worked part-time at Waldbaum’s grocery store, serving at the service desk to provide extra income for our family. She also did secretarial work at Vitramon, Incorporated.

Faith was central to our mom’s life and grew deeper with each passing year. She was actively involved in church wherever she lived and served for a year as president of the Kentucky Chapter of Women’s Aglow. For many years, she opened her home as the host of a young people’s share group, offering a welcoming space for fellowship, encouragement, and spiritual growth.

Our mom had a good sense of humor and loved games. She enjoyed time around the table; laughter shared with family and friends and moments of simple joy. She was modest and fairly quiet by nature, but beneath that gentleness was a deep and steady faith. She had an open home and an open heart, welcoming many people over the years to stay, to share meals and to find rest. She was a wonderful cook, a gracious hostess, and someone who cared deeply for those God placed in her life.

She was a proud grandmother to 11 grandchildren and great-grandmother to 22 great-grandchildren, all of whom brought her great joy.

To us, she was simply our mom—faithful, loving, steady and kind. Her life was not marked by loud accomplishments, but by daily acts of devotion: to her husband, her children, her faith, and her home. She will be deeply missed and lovingly remembered.

Funeral services will be at Clark Legacy Center, Brannon Crossing on Friday, January 23, 2026 at 11:30 AM. Visitation will be prior to the service beginning at 9:30 AM. Burial will be private. 

“Her children rise up and call her blessed.”

— Proverbs 31:28

“Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His loved ones.”

— Psalm 116:1