Ruth Ann Lauer, 80, a native of Benton, Kentucky, and a resident of Fairhope, Alabama, passed away on Saturday, June 18, 2022.

Born into a loving family in Benton Kentucky, Ruth Ann spent the majority of her childhood in Pontiac, Michigan spending time with her three sisters and brother.  Time was often spent circling around her brother’s piano playing, tap dancing in a troupe with her sisters, and singing harmony at church. They were a tight knit crew, and thus was the foundation of Ruth Ann’s strong constitution of family, creativity and faith.

She was a graduate of Michigan’s Oakland University where she received a bachelor’s degree in education. She later moved to Kingwood, Texas where she spent the majority of her adult life and raised a family with her former husband, Mike Lauer. Here, Ruth Ann had numerous friends, taught middle school English, and dedicated much of her time and passion to her students, fellow teachers and friends. She was a devoted teacher, loved children, reading, and all the treasures an open book offered.

As an active member of Kingwood Christian Church, she could be found most any Sunday singing away in the church sanctuary, as music and singing were among her great joys. The weekly sermons and lessons on life and faith along with the coffee and treats with her beloved community was something she always looked forward to.  Living in the Houston area Ruth Ann was an active participant in culture.  She frequented the Museum of Fine Arts, the Alley Theater and loved a great movie with her favorite salty snack of buttered popcorn and Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. Ruth Ann had a sweet tooth and chocolate was always welcome. 

In the past five years she lived in Fairhope, Alabama to be closer to her daughter, Alison and her spouse, Marc Hill, as well as her grandchildren, Ashlyn, Kaelyn and Addilyn, and most recently, her great- grandchild, Anders, which brought her daily delight.

Ruth Ann loved many things in life but especially nature.  She enjoyed many hours on her back porch marveling at every moment of beauty that God’s creations offered. She loved a good thunderstorm, and every year waited for the first hummingbird to find its way to her backyard sanctuary.  One of her favorite activities was to watch the Southern sunset at the Fairhope pier and share a chocolate frozen custard with just about anyone who would accompany her. It is moments like these that are true testaments of Ruth Ann’s fun-loving yet contemplative spirit. Nature brought Ruth Ann so much happiness. A highlight in her later life was a trip with friends to France where she visited Monet’s Garden at Giverny.  This sparked a newfound love of photographing all the beautiful things she observed in the natural world, which became the muses of her many watercolor paintings.

She loved her family, staying close with her sisters, finding great pride in her children, adoring her grandchildren, and finding immense joy in her great grandson.

Ruth Ann was also an amazing friend.  She valued all types of people and found energy in her “younger friends’. It is easy to say that when she entered a room people gravitated to her and she loved “holding court’. She loved sharing her life experiences and stories.

She lived and loved fully and will be missed by many.

She is preceded in death by her parents, James Robert Vaughn and Ruth Elizabeth Vaughn, and brother, Thomas Vaughn, and children, Brad Wilson, Chad Wilson, Randy Wilson and Ann Nicole Lauer.

Ruth Ann is survived by her daughters, Alison Hill of Spanish Fort and Andrea Lauer of Brooklyn, NY; grandchildren, Ashlyn Fields Kaelyn Walch, Addilyn Hill; great grandchildren, Anders Fields, and soon to be, Henry Paul Walch; siblings, Wanda Sue Lawson and husband, Will Lawson, Beth Scott and daughter, Anna Scott, and Lori Joe Powell and husband, Tony Powell; along with other family members and friends.

Memorial services will be held in Fairhope in mid-August, in Kingwood, Texas in late August, as well as in Murray, Kentucky in September.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that memorial donations be made to the following organizations on behalf of Ruth Ann Lauer:

The Buckaroo Foundation (The Ruth Ann Lauer Scholarship Fund) at www,buckaroofoundation,org

The Friends Of Kingwood Library (FOLK) at

Home

The Nature Conservancy at https://www.nature.org/en-us/

Expressions of condolence for the family may be made at www.hughesfh.com. Hughes Funeral Home, 26209 Pollard Road, Daphne, AL, is assisting the family.