Ruth Helen Stokdyk passed away peacefully in her home and went to be with her Lord and savior on Monday, June 1, 2026.
Ruth Helen was born on June 27, 1950, to John and Gertrude (Marsh) Johnston in Matamata, New Zealand. The child of missionaries to China then Taiwan, she graduated from Morrison Academy in Taichung, Taiwan before attending North Park College in Chicago, earning her BS in Biology.
As a missionary kid, Ruth Helen lived an adventurous life that spanned three continents, crossing the ocean by ship twice. She was a wonderful big sister and a faithful servant of the Lord, spreading the message of God’s love and demonstrating Christ’s message of self-emptying love through words and deeds.
Moving to the U.S. to attend college as her family remained in Taiwan, Ruth Helen was lovingly taken in by Howard and Helen Veldhorst of Cedar Grove. While staying with the Veldhorsts, she met Jack with whom she enjoyed her college weekends walking along the Lake Michigan shore, exploring Chicago, and hiking in area parks. On June 16, 1973, Ruth Helen was united in marriage to Jack, with the blessing of both her family and the Veldhorsts. She would go on to spend the next five decades raising and caring for her seven sons. She was the happiest when her family was around, especially with her and her boys’ tendency toward playful and rambunctious family gatherings.
Ruth Helen loved the outdoors, regularly taking her boys to nearby Lake Michigan in the summer and leading them on cross country skiing adventures in winter. She was a natural fit as a scouting Den Mother and a fearless leader on many a mother-and-son camping expedition. With all seven boys earning the rank of Eagle Scout, Ruth Helen could very well hold the record for most merit badges sewn on a son’s sash (well over 200). With her prowess in the water and Jack’s skills as a campfire cook, a canoe camping trip to Boundary Waters for their 10th anniversary was a natural choice.
A great joy of Ruth Helen’s life was the 5-acre paradise that she and Jack created over the decades. Tending her garden was a favored undertaking. As a lifelong learner, she was always exploring and improving her gardening, baking, and recipes. Music, art, and literature were also a significant part of Ruth Helen’s life, playing trombone, piano, and organ. Her boys regularly fell asleep to reading or music, and she nurtured musical talents in her children. Photography was another passion for her and Jack, attending the Nikon school in Chicago, creating a dark room in their basement, and taking many photos of their family and nature.
Ruth Helen’s words and actions reflected her heart and her life’s motto: love God, serve others, eat healthy, live generously. She studied the bible her entire life, spending countless hours in prayer and meditation on God’s word. Her faith was one of action, continuously writing notes and letters of encouragement, serving others, and praying diligently for those in need. Ruth Helen was a self-made naturalist, spending her life learning about, using, and passing along knowledge of natural remedies, medicinal plants, and healing foods. Most memorably, she did all of this with a child-like joy, a playful spirit, and a generous heart.
Ruth Helen is survived by her husband, Jack; children: Jonathan (Amy), Jamison (Julie), Jeremiah, Joshua, Timothy Jack (Gail), Joel (Jodi), and Jesse (Sarah) Stokdyk.; grandchildren: Abrianna, Caley, Eli, Ilyssa, Karinna, Megan, Owen, Lily, Emmeline, Elaina, Everly, Harrison, Jack, and Liora. She is further survived by her siblings: Priscilla (Jim) Pulscher, Mary Kay (Dan) Gilbert, and David Johnston.
Ruth Helen was preceded in death by her parents and her brother John (Mary) Johnston.
A funeral service to celebrate Ruth Helen’s life will be held at Wenig Funeral Home in Oostburg on Friday, June 19, 2026 at 11:00am. Visitation will take place at the funeral home on Thursday, June 18, from 5:00-7:00pm and again on Friday from 10:00am until the time of service.
Memorials are appreciated in Ruth Helen’s name to AGES (Amazing Grace Equine Sanctuary) in Elkhart Lake. https://www.rescuehorses.org/
Wenig Funeral Home in Oostburg is honored to serve the Stokdyk Family. Please visit wenigfh.com for more information.
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