Gennieve Ruth Ann House

Gennieve Ruth Ann House, 81, passed away peacefully on Monday, September 8, 2025, at Riverview Estates in Marquette, Kansas, surrounded by her loving family. She was born on March 10, 1944, at Asbury Hospital, Salina, Kansas, to Arthur and Fannie Ruth House.

Ruth Ann attended Salina public schools. She earned her G.E.D. and then enrolled at Brown Mackie College graduating with a Business Management degree.

Ruth Ann’s first job was working for the Brookville Hotel for room and board. While in Brookville, she met Lester Neil Olson at the grocery store in Brookville. Ruth Ann and Neil married January 10, 1961 and raised three children, Julia, Christina, and Jared. They lived in Brookville, Carnero, and Roxbury before finding a long-term home on a farm East of Salina, Kelley’s Land and Livestock, owned by Byrne Kelley. Following Byrne’s death and the sale of the farm, Ruth Ann and Neil moved to Salina, and divorced a few years later.

Ruth Ann was a homemaker and loving mother raising their children. She enjoyed crocheting, sewing, bowling on a league with Joyce Zimmerman, Minnie Hoefner, and Betty Barnes, playing darts, and going out dancing with Neil and their friends. Ruth Ann was proud to be a 4-H sewing leader and was a member of the American Legion Women’s Auxiliary. She made wedding cakes, did wallpapering, and fed wheat harvest crews. Later in life, she enjoyed painting and a variety of arts and crafts projects.

Ruth Ann began her career working outside the home at Anthony’s Clothing store in Salina. While working toward her Business Management degree, she was hired by Headley’s Clothing Store and Shelton’s ladies clothing store as a bookkeeper. When the stores consolidated and moved to a new location as Joseph P. Roth & Sons, she continued her employment as Office Manager and performed many other duties including sales, alternations, and gift wrapping (she said you only need 3 pieces of tape to wrap a package. Any more than that was wasteful.) Ruth Ann left employment at Joseph P. Roth & Sons to manage the Salina Credit Bureau. She was a member of Credit Women International and served as president for 1981-1982. After leaving the Salina Credit Bureau, Ruth Ann moved to Saint Louis and worked for a doctor’s office processing insurance claims. When she returned to Salina, she left the business sector and began a second career of helping people. Ruth Ann began volunteering for the State of Kansas Social Rehabilitation Services (SRS) Salina office working in an administrative assistant position supervised by Becky Gassman. She transitioned to field work in the Family Preservation Unit servicing the Enterprise area and then transferred to a position with the Wichita SRS office. Ruth Ann retired from the Wichita SRS office on March 17, 2010. Following retirement, she enjoyed being able to spend more time with her grandchildren. She also enjoyed working at The City teen center on weekends when it opened in Salina, taking charge of concessions serving Salina’s kids and also cleaned the facility after hours.

Ruth Ann was preceded in death by Neil Olson; their infant daughter; grandmother, Mattie Bussart; mother, Fannie Ruth Werst; father, Arthur Alexander House; brother, Albert Sylvester House, brother Edward (Eddie) House; granddaughter, Shelby Olson; son-in-law, Thomas Goding; and son-in-law Larry Hardesty.

Survivors include her children: Julia Hardesty, Christina Goding, and Jared Olson all of Salina; grandchildren, Nathan Hardesty (Christa), of Shawnee, Stephanie Hardesty, of Salina, Justin Goding (Chelsey), of Bastrop, Texas, Cody Goding (Meghan), of Ellsworth, Tyler Goding (Brianna), of Kanopolis, Elizabeth Olson, of Hutchinson, Courtney Leis (Derek), of Hutchinson, Marissa Jenkins (Joe), of El Dorado Springs, Missouri; 14 great-grandchildren; a stepsister, Ruby Sweeler; a stepbrother, Larry Hoyt; two half-brothers, Arthur E. House Jr. and Duane E. House.

Visitation is from 5:00 pm – 7:00 pm, Thursday, September 11, 2025, at Carlson-Geisendorf Funeral Home.

Funeral services will be held 1:00 pm, Friday, September 12, at Carlson-Geisendorf Funeral Home, Salina. Burial will follow at Delphos Cemetery, Delphos, Kansas.

Memorials may be made to Riverview Estates, 202 S Washington St, Marquette Kansas, or Sunflower Adult Day Services, 401 W Iron Ave, Salina Kansas.