I was thinking about Mr & Mrs Rue today and decided to Google them to see if I could locate them. I was saddened to see they had both passed on.  But as I look through the stories and pictures it made me smile.   They were both such an important part of my life at Fohi.    I owe them both gratitude for what they taught me and set a foundation for my success in my career.  They were beloved by my parents who kept in touch with them after I moved away.  Such a wonderful caring couple who I am sure are being rewarded in heaven.  Much love to the family.  Their memory lives on.   Trudy Missbrenner Haszlauer

BIRTHDAY  CELEBRATED  ON  BOARD A  CRUISE  SHIP

Birthdays have been celebrated for hundreds of years, generally in homes or restaurants.  They continue to be observed with parties, gifts, and THE song. 

My wife’s birthday was last week and to celebrate it in an enjoyable and satisfying way, I took her on a four-day cruise out of Long  Beach. It was not a surprise gift since cruises have to be booked ahead of time to get the right accommodations, services, and preferred treatment.

If you sailed with this line before, you become a member of the VIFP Club which gives you priority services.  And we were members of this Very Important Fun Person Club. Here are some of the benefits:  You are boarded faster from the VIP counter bypassing a thousand or more guests, and you duplicate this service when you get off the ship. There is wheelchair service (although we had our own), On board there are other favors for you. On the way to and from our cruiser, the Inspiration, we had a free  look at the old Queen Mary which has been moored there since 1967.  

 My wife, Ruth, was quite nonchalant about her birthday. After all, it was just another one, and she has had quite a few before.  But to me and our three children (all graduates of Fohi) it was an important day.  Our daughter Donna,and her husband Richard who accompanied us on this four-dayer, considered this to be a significant birthday and were determined to make it a memorable one. One that she might want to repeat.

We reminded her that we booked the cruise in order to celebrate this birthday in an unusual way. She had even checked with her doctor to see if there were any medical impediments if she lived on a ship for four days. He said “Enjoy yourself, the ship has a medical staff on board.” 

So we all relaxed.

Halfway through the cruise, her birthday arrived, right on schedule. Richard, my daughter’s husband was already planning to handle this event in a memorable manner. At dinner time the night before, Richard approached the Maitre d’ of the late seating.  This man is anxious to please the passengers.  From my position at our dinner table, I could see them nodding and then shaking hands. A deal had been made.    

On the birthday evening with dinner over, a line of waiters and assistants followed their leader, the Maitre d’, who was holding carefully a three- tiered cake with four candles already lit and flickering. Placing it carefully in front of the birthday girl, he asked her to blow it out. Ruth obliged. With an inhaled breath which she exhaled with vigor, the four candles went out.  

Now, the Maitre d’, who turned out to be a former tenor from Turkey led the group in the Happy Birthday Song. Several other tables joined in. A wave of handclapping followed while Ruth smiled in appreciated. She was really impressed.

We enjoyed our delicious wedges of the birthday cake.

Incidentally, the four candles each had worth of 23 points. 4 X 23 gives us the birthday count of 92,  a very respectable number.

Richard helped Ruth, the birthday girl into her wheelchair and then moved her triumphantly out of the dining room. The Maitre d’ bowed as she passed his station.

The cruise ship had been a most pleasing place for this birthday celebration.

 

Philip A. Rue

June 30, 2012 

Retired FUSD Teacher Honored as a “32nd Senate District Teacher of the Year”

Senator Gloria Negrete McLeod acknowledged extraordinary teachers throughout the 32nd Senate District at a special luncheon held on October 6, 2012. Eleven deserving local teachers were honored by the Senator, including retired Fontana High School Teacher, Ruth Rue.

Mrs. Rue taught for 28 years in Fontana before her retirement in 1982. She covered five different subjects every day for several years while in Fontana Junior High School. Later in her career, Mrs. Rue taught English and Business Communication at Fontana High School. Her early study of Latin prepared her in the teaching of English, building vocabulary and grammar as an integral part of her assignments in class. A student who was in Mrs. Rue’s advanced English class at Fontana High School in 1970-71 wrote in a local newspaper 42 years later on the impact Mrs. Rue made to her life. The type of education she gave to her students allowed them to become successful individuals.

“This Awards Luncheon is an opportunity to recognize local teachers who always put students first. Teachers play many vital roles in the lives of students and often go unnoticed. I want to change that by highlighting their achievements,” said Senator Negrete McLeod.

The eleven teachers were nominated by parents, students, colleagues and friends. One teacher was selected per city and unincorporated community within the 32nd Senate District, in addition to selecting one retired teacher from the district. In addition to Mrs. Rue, this year’s honorees are: Ryan Duckworth (Bloomington), Jose Quintero (Ontario), Wesley Pulido (Muscoy), Scott Rossen (Chino), Lori Faulkner (Etiwanda), Emily Rodriguez (Pomona), Jose Martinez, Jr. (Colton), Dorothy Johnston (Montclair), Carol Bertotto (Rialto), and Ken Soto (San Bernardino).

 

Tribute  to  an  English  teacher 

In  the FOHI English Building, Room Number Eight

had every seat taken; no one came late                                       

Kids learned English grammar, vocab, and to spell.

Some arrived and reviewed before the class bell.

The verbs lie and lay with tenses on the board

Was an aspect of English to be also explored.

Direct and indirect objects came next.

This teacher, it seems, was a real living text.

In order to communicate right

English grammar gives the insight.

And when students have mastered the whom and the who,

They all were so glad, they had had Mrs.Rue.

Fontana residents Ruth E. Rue and Philip A. Rue celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary last Wednesday, Sept. 25.

Sixty of those years were spent living right here in Fontana, in the same house, since September of 1953.

“ I like it here," said Mrs. Rue with a smile.
They both came to California from New Jersey, where they both attended Uppsala College. It was at a school sponsored dance that they met, danced, and then dated. The date of their first meeting was Sept. 25, 1941. Two years to the day later, they were married at the Lutheran Church of our Savior in North Bergen, N.J.
Before arriving in Fontana, they had both worked at various jobs in New York and in Los Angeles. He had been a translator for the Office of Censorship During World War II. She worked for an aircraft company helping to build airplanes.
In Fontana, they both were employed by the Fontana Unified School District, she as a teacher and he as an administrator. They retired in 1982, but Mr. Rue continued as a part-time instructor until 2012.
Their three children all graduated from Fohi, and then completed UCLA and Loma Linda College.
In addition to three adult grandsons, they enjoy the presence of a great-granddaughter and a great-grandson who live in St. George, Utah.
How do they plan to celebrate the God-given status of 70 years of marriage? A cruise would be a great way to celebrate the event. In fact, it has already been booked.