Ruth Barton

Ruth (Penn) Barton, 92, went to her eternal home with her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ on January 8, 2021. She was born in Neptune, New Jersey, to Ross and Beatrice Penn on April 26, 1928. She lived the first 50 years of her life near the Jersey Shore, raising her family, breeding basset and bloodhound show dogs, and enjoying careers in teaching and social services. In 1978, Ruth moved to Upland, IN, to be near her daughters' families and to restore a historic Victorian home that soon became known as The Pineapple Post House. Ruth opened her home to friends, the community and Taylor University families who enjoyed the hospitality of her open houses and bed and breakfast. Ruth enjoyed making many new friends as she worked at the Hostess House in Marion, the Upland United Methodist Church, Jay County Hospital as Director of Volunteers, and the Marion-Grant Co. Senior Center as its first executive director. Ruth loved nothing more than following her three grandchildren in school activities and sports and helping her daughter, Sally, raise her AKC pointer show dogs. Ruth's artistic talent was evident in her many creations of beautiful dolls, Santas, and stained-glass pieces. Ruth was an avid antique collector and restorer of all things broken or discarded. She had an eye to see the beauty in everything, and she took on her project challenges just as she did the challenges of life: with courage, grace, and the strength of the Lord. Her favorite hymn was "Great is Thy Faithfulness." The evidence of God's mercies was new to her every morning and the Lord's compassions and promises never failed her. Ruth lived in her Upland home until 2014 when she moved to Heritage Pointe in Warren, IN. She appreciated her friends from the Upland United Methodist Church, Westview Wesleyan Church, and New Hope Baptist Church who continued to keep in touch with her in her new home. Ruth will be dearly missed by her two daughters: Carol Barton Tropf (Nate) of Upland, IN; and Sally A. Barton of Richmond, IN; three grandchildren: Shannon Tropf Juneja (Mukul) of Fort Collins, CO; Lauren Tropf Rees (Brian) of Indianapolis, IN; and Jay Tropf (Tammy) of Dacula, GA; four great-grandchildren: Sonya and Savannah Rees and Landon and Paxton Tropf. A private family memorial service will be held with a future burial in Waretown, NJ. The family deeply appreciates the attentive and loving nursing care provided by the staff on 1A and 1B of Heritage Pointe, the ministry of Heritage Pointe chaplains, and the Visiting Nurse Hospice Staff. Arrangements have been entrusted to the Jones-Smith Chapel of Armes-Hunt Funeral Home & Cremation Services, 259 N. Main St., Upland, Indiana.