Ruth E. Neff, 83, former Pickaway County commissioner

Ruth E. Neff, 83, of Circleville, Ohio, a former medical technician who served three terms as a Pickaway County commissioner, died July 15, 2009.

She founded the Pickaway County D.A.R.E. Program and chaired the Pickaway County Jail Committee.

In 1999, Mrs. Neff led a fundraising campaign to install an automated Schulmerich Bell system for the Foresman Chimes in the County Clock Tower.

The set of 11 huge inscribed bells previously were rung once a day by a person pushing large wooden levers connected to clappers by steel cable and pulleys.

Following Mrs. Neff’s intervention, the bells could be played on a small electronic keyboard, with a pre-programmed memory system or manually with levers and clappers.

Mrs. Neff, whose maiden name was Melvin, was born in Jackson Township, Ohio. She was a member of the Circleville High School Class of 1944.
She worked as a medical technician in the offices of several physicians.

Her husband, George, died in 1974. Her son, Terry D., passed in 2008.

Survivors include her son, Stephen (Sharon) of Circleville; daughter-in-law, Teresa of Circleville; grandchildren, Jeremy (Carly), Anthony (Karlyn), and Nicholas (Toni) Neff, Hillary (Ian) Webb; great –grandchildren, Ava, Maraya, Dylan, Brady and Sutten Neff; and brother, Ronald (Cleo) Melvin of Grove City, Ohio.

Family will receive friends from 2-8 p.m. Friday, July 17, 2009, in the Noecker Hall of Trinity Lutheran Church, 135 East Mound Street, Circleville.

Funeral service will be held at the church at 10 a.m. Saturday, July 18, 2009.

Arrangements: Defenbaugh-Wise-Schoedinger Funeral Home, Circleville.

This obituary was posted originally on ObitsOhio.com on July 16, 2009.