Lu Etta (Ruf) Sherman

On October 24th,1928, a bright eyed baby girl was born in a two room house on her Great Grandmother Katie (Meier) Ruf's homestead southwest of Shattuck, Oklahoma. Her parents were Karl and Laura (Bender) Ruf. Her first bed was a dresser drawer. As a child she enjoyed being outside, chasing minnows in the creek, herding the milk cows with her dog, Trixie, and working with her grandpa's Percheron horses. After the chores were done, she would jump into the stock tank, clothes and all.

Lu loved school. The one room New Goodwin country school teacher (Palmer Steinert) had to put her in the closet because she would answer all the questions. Although she could not see well, she heard and learned everything. Since her grandmother Anna (Kelln) Ruf was living in town, she stayed with her to attend Shattuck High School. When one of her teachers was drafted into the military she was chosen to take over the class. She also became an editor for the school newspaper and graduated in 1945.

Being a teacher was her dream. She continued her education at Southwestern Junior College at Keene, Texas, working her way thru school. She enjoyed singing, playing the piano and guitar with her friends. She graduated with a teaching certificate in 1948.

Seminole, Oklahoma was her first job, making $35.00 a month. When school finished for the year, her Dad bought her a car and she moved to Dalhart, Texas. Needing directions to the school, she asked a young man on a red Harley where to go. That young man was Vernon Sherman. They were married on December 24 th,1950. Their first home was a small house on his Dad's farm. They moved to Hereford, Texas in 1959 to continue farming and raise a family. When the landlord kept raising the rent, she started driving the school bus and commuting to Canyon to attend West Texas State University, graduating in 1967 at the age of 39 with a B.S. degree in Elementary Education. She was employed by the Hereford Independent School System for 19 years teaching at Aikman and Shirley Elementary Schools. Science, Social Studies and Art were her favorite subjects. After moving to town and putting four daughters thru college, she retired in 1986.

Vernon and Lu decided to move to Fargo, Oklahoma in 1993 to be near family and relatives. Lu enjoyed working in the yard ,painting, quilting and making birdhouses. She loved visiting with family and friends telling stories about her life. She passed away on April 22,2024 at the age of 95. Her final resting place will be at the SDA Cemetery south of Shattuck only a few miles from where she was born.

She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband Vernon, daughter Brenda White, grandson Kent Roesch.

Lu is survived by three daughters and their families, Barbara and David Jahay of Fargo OK, Jean Turpen of Hereford, TX Becky and Kerry Roesch, of McClave, CO 12 Grandchildren and 12 Great Grandchildren