Ruth Margaret Dalton

Ruth Margaret Dalton, MD, was born in Chicago, Illinois to Maurice John and Madeline I. (Murphy) Dalton on April 30, 1926. She died Friday afternoon, October 21, 2011 lovingly surrounded by Mary Jo Hull, MD (Rohrer) who kept a vigil at her side on this last day. She is survived by an older sister, Dorothy ( John) Cole; sister in law, Helen Dalton, many nieces and nephews, life long friend and canoe partner Joan Weber, Madison, WI., and best friend confidante, and care giver, Mary Rohrer, LaCrosse, WI. She was preceded in death by her older brother, Herb Dalton, her younger sister Irene (Keith) Davis, and her mother and father.

Passionate about the out of doors, for over twenty-five summers Ruth introduced many acquaintances and friends to canoeing in northern Minnesota where she loved the call of the loon and the sighting of moose in the wild. Ruth, together with Mary Rohrer and her three children, Dr. Mary Jo (Neil) Hull; Rebecca Jo (Duke Ellington) Rohrer; and Joe (Meredith) Rohrer; shared many years of annual summer sojourns to her all time favorite destination, Seagull Lake, Boundary Waters Canoe Area (BWCA).

A second passion was golf and tennis. Joining the Senior Golf Association, Ruth took annual trips to senior golf tournaments throughout the United States. When golf and canoeing were no longer physically possible, Ruth became a voracious reader, completing several books at a time, enjoying murder mysteries, historical fiction, and history. To change the pace, working the computer, that is playing solitaire and poker, and reading friend Dick Records email jokes became a daily activity along with watching the birds at the feeder, regularly watching Special Victims Unit, Keeping Up Appearances and football on television. Ruth liked to say my favorite football team used to be the Bears but since I decided to wear clothes, its now the Packers. Her jokes were an expected regular at her Investment Club, Bowling League, and Womens Tuesday Golf at the LaCrosse Country Club.

Ruth was a life long pathologist at St Francis Hospital, LaCrosse, WI, with associate Dr Paul Dietz. Their partnership expanded with partners Drs. Pat Nichols, John Pederson, Bill McNeill, and Abbas Rahimi. Graduating from the University of Illinois Medical School, she completed an internship and residency in Philadelphia and Madison, WI. She taught Medical Technology to student interns enrolled in the St Francis Hospital program and was a national board member of the American Blood Banking Association (ABBA). Ruth retired in 1986 after practicing thirty years.

A registered sixty-eight year life member of Girl Scouts of the USA and Girl Scouts of Riverland Council, Ruth began her Girl Scout activities as a summer camp youth counselor for the Girl Scouts of Cook County at their Michigan resident camp, serving as the camp health counselor. She became a Senior Girl Scout volunteer leader at Riverland Council, leading teenage girls in annual camping and canoeing trips. Riverland Council and Camp Ehawee named The Doctor Ruth Dalton Family Cabin as its first youth cabin in her honor in the expansion of Camp Ehawee. Encouraged to join the Girl Scout council board by life long Girl Scout members Ella Vaslow, Carol Speich, Gail Cleary, and Nancy Gerrard, Ruth served in many board positions including chairing the four year accreditation and chartering process of the council board while board president. She earned the highest achieveable national adult award in Girl Scouting, The Thanks Badge, and the Council Girl Scout of Distinction award, and was nominated by Girl Scouts and selected as Outstanding Philanthropist of the Upper Mississippi Valley Chapter of the Association of Fund Raising Professionals.

A community activist, Ruth was a long time local board member of St Francis Hospital Foundation, Viterbo University, and the LaCrosse Community Foundation. Viterbo University honored Ruth as a Pope John XXIII Award Recipient and St Francis Hospital honored her with the Sphere of Influence Award. She also has served in a volunteer board and/or advisory capacity with the LaCrosse Public Library, Riverfront, Viterbo Board of Advisors, LaCrosse Symphony Orchestra, and the Family and Childrens Center.

Memorials may be made in Dr Ruths honor to The National Child Protection Training Center, a national center for which Ruth stated recently learning about this place and meeting the founder and Executive Director, Victor Vieth was a fantastic experience. Having testified at many trials over the years for the prosecution in child abuse cases, I found the defense most times were able to get their defendants off because of the lack of training for District Attorneys, Law Enforcement, and Social Worker professionals. This place is something that has been needed for a very long time to successfully prosecute child abuse cases and stop the cycle of abuse of children, the true victims. Per her request, Memorials in Ruths honor may be sent to The National Child Protection Training Center, Maxwell Hall, PO Box 5838, Winona State University, Winona, MN 55987.

Having been cremated, a memorial mass and celebration of the life of Ruth M. Dalton, MD, will take place on Friday, July 6th, 2012 at 4:00 PM in the 2thndth floor chapel of St. Francis Hospital, Mayo Clinic Healthcare System, 700 West Av So., La Crosse, WI, followed by a celebration gathering in the 2thndth floor Marycrest Dining Room.