Ruth Marie Benien was born on May 25th, 1957 at the Norton County Hospital to Alfred Benien and Genevieve (Kirk) Benien joining her 15 month older sister Reva. She passed away January 6th, 2025 at the Advent Health Shawnee Mission Medical Center at the age of 67 after a brave fight against multiple health issues since her recurrent breast cancer in 2023.

Growing up on the family farm northwest of Norton, her preschool years were filled with play and animals which included the family dogs, Rex and Chief, Suzy the goat, and  multiple cats too numerous to name.  She was a baptized member of the Maple Grove Church of the Brethren, a country church a few miles from the farm.   She attended country school at Far View District #120 with 3 other classmates of which she was the only girl.  When entering 4th grade she and other schoolmates attended Eisenhower Elementary in Norton when the country school closed.

These years also found her joining in age appropriate farm chores assigned by Dad from the chalk board in the kitchen. She was the one who was always selected to climb up on the grain bin to remove or replace the lid and tally the truck loads during harvest time.

She was a proud 1975 Graduate of Norton Community High School in the same school building that her father graduated in 1936.  During her high school years she was a stand out debater and thespian, Nugget journalist for the school paper, and Bluejay yearbook photographer which crafted her desire to continue her education with a double major in Journalism and Political Science at the University of Kansas where she would become a lifelong Jayhawk fan. During the summers of her first few college years she worked for the Norton Daily Telegram in her hometown covering news, taking photos, and compiling the Bicentennial issue of the paper.  She also ran and closed the Lenora News paper one summer. During her undergraduate career she participated as a member of the KU Debate squad for two years and was an elected member of the KU Student Senate, and a resident hall assistant for the Oliver dorm.  After graduation in 1979 with a Bachelor of Science in Journalism she attended the University of Kansas School Of Law.  She graduated early in December, 1981 as part of the class of 1982 with her Juris Doctorate. Having passed the bar she was sworn into the bar for the State of Kansas in April, 1982 in Topeka and joined the practice of Schnider, Shamberg & May, a Kansas City firm.  This firm split in 1984 with Ruth continuing with Shamberg, Johnson, Bergman, & Goldman as an associate and later partner.  In 1989 she left this group to form her own practice; Benien Law Offices, Chartered, in Wyandotte County where she concentrated her practice on discrimination and employment disputes for the last 25 years. During her law career she served as President of the Wyandotte County Bar Association, member of both the Association of Women Lawyers of Greater Kansas City and the statewide Kansas Trial Lawyers Association. The latter of which, she was proud to be the first woman to serve as President in 1994.  Also since 2008 she was the Ethics Administrator for the Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kansas and the BPU where she had many duties one of which was presenting employee ethics training seminars.

In 2004 she moved from her Leawood Kansas home in Johnson County to her current home on 17th Street Kansas City, Kansas and Wyandotte County, putting her much closer to her work in the Federal Court System.  Here she found a great neighborhood of residents that became lasting friends.  The Halloween parties, Christmas lighting contests and block gatherings were some of her favorite times.  The front porch was her favorite place to relax and where many a welcomed friend would share time and a good visit. She was a lifelong animal lover from her time growing up on the farm with no bias toward cat or dog. She enjoyed travel and joined her beloved Ryan family on many trips. A group of several friends were into Barbecue and she was recruited to help with the entry organization, display, and t-shirt designs for these events making several trips to Memphis in May over the years. The Benien German ancestry intrigued her and she became an active part of the local German Club with whom she made several trips.

With a calling to help others giving not only of her professional time but as one who cared about her community, Ruth gave her time, treasury and talent to many civic and charitable organizations serving most prominently as a member of the Junior League of Wyandotte and Johnson Counties, the German American Edelweiss Society as Treasurer, Wyandotte County Bar Association as Treasurer and Leadership 2000 program as Board Member.

Ruth was known for her independence and self reliance which grew from her battle with breast cancer of which she was a 20 year or more survivor. Ruth loved spending time with her extended family, her sister, aunts and cousins. Her wit and humor were her attributes.  She was an outgoing gregarious person and always had a smile, a joke and good conversation for whomever she was with. She will be greatly missed.

Survivors include her sister, Reva Benien of Norton; her aunt, Stephanie Kirk of Vero Beach, FL & cousins: Philip & Shelly Kirk of Oak Grove, MO, William & Valerie Kirk of Vero Beach, FL, Michael Frayser Simpson of Monroe, NC and Robert and Shelia Simpson of Curry, NC, along with other relatives, friends, and colleagues.

Preceding her in death were her mother, Genevieve Kirk Benien and father, Alfred Benien.

The family will hold Funeral services to celebrate her life at Trinity Episcopal Church, corner of State and Waverly Streets, in Norton, KS with the Reverend Dennis Gilhousen officiating on Saturday January 25th at 1pm. This service will be live streamed on the Olliff-Boeve Memorial Chapel Facebook page. Family will receive visitors on the Friday prior from 4 - 6 pm.  at the Trinity Episcopal Church.  In lieu of flowers Memorial contributions may be made to the Benien Family Donor Advised Fund with the Norton County Community Foundation at the following link: https://www.nortonccf.org/benien or left with the Olliff-Boeve Memorial Chapel, PO Box 563, Phillipsburg, KS  67661.