Reuben Luthi

Funeral services for Reuben Luthi, of Washington, Illinois, formerly of Morris, will be held on Monday, September 11, 2023, at 10:00 a.m. at the Apostolic Christian Church – Morris North. A visitation will be held on Sunday from 5-7:00 p.m. at the Apostolic Christian Church – Morris North and will continue one hour prior to the services at the church on Monday.  Burial will be at the Apostolic Christian Church Cemetery, rural Morris.  Additional services were held at his church in Washington, IL.    

Reuben Richard Luthi was born on January 24, 1932, in Morris, MN to William and Minnie (Schlupp) Luthi. The sixth of 8 children, he was raised on a dairy farm where he developed a lifelong love of cattle and agriculture. He attended country school through 8th grade before graduating from the West Central School of Agriculture in Morris. Reuben married Chyrstol (Schmidt) on March 22, 1959. They cherished 62 years of marriage and welcomed a son Jeffrey (Dec). Together, they managed their farm in Hancock, MN where they raised crops and cattle until 1978.  Reuben then transitioned to the role of General Manager at Trico Ag Service, a fertilizer chemical dealership, where he worked side-by-side with Chrystol until their retirement in 1998.  Reuben demonstrated a deep love of family and was heavily involved in his son, daughter-in-law, and grandchildren’s lives. 

Following retirement, he and Chrystol spent long winters in California to be near Jeff, his wife Shirley (Witzig), and their six children. Reuben’s grandchildren have many happy memories of the farmplace and their California apartment, of family dinners and beach days, of Friday game nights and school activities, of trips to Home Depot and building things with Grandpa in the backyard.

Reuben and Chrystol were members of the Apostolic Christian Church, which they attended for many years in Morris Country, during their winters in Altadena, CA, and in later years at Morris North (of which they were founding members) and in Washington, IL. Their faith was exemplified not only by their church involvement, but in their unconditional warmth and generosity, and especially following Jeff’s death in 2005. 

Even in grief, they contented themselves in the Lord’s goodness and spoke often of their trust in His care.  In 2018, Reuben and his wife relocated to Washington, IL to be close to daughter-in-law Shirley, her husband John Cox, and the majority of their now nine grandchildren.

“Reub” will be fondly remembered as a storyteller. He was a treasure trove of memories, many of which expressed his love of farming and family. He spoke with fondness of his brothers and sisters, nieces, nephews, and in-laws. He was a skilled handyman and will be remembered for his meticulous care applied to every task, no matter the size.
Though self-deprecating and humble, Reuben greeted every day with enthusiasm and spoke earnestly of his many blessings. We will miss his affectionate smile, his detailed stories, his cheek pinches and hugs.

Reuben passed away on September 2, 2023, at the Apostolic Christian Home in Eureka, Illinois; he was 91 years old.

Survivors include his daughter-in-law: Shirley (John) Luthi-Cox and grandchildren: Daniel Luthi, Joel (Marcy) Cox, Lydian Luthi, Jenna Cox, Micah Luthi, Misha Cox, and Anne Luthi all of central IL, Joel Luthi of Phoenix, AZ, Alyson (Caleb) Wicker; and great-granddaughter Laura of Fayetteville, AR; sister, Lillian (Howard) Mogler of Lester, IA; siblings-in-law: Della Luthi of Morris, and Jerry (Judy) Schmidt of West Bend, IA. He is predeceased by his wife; son; parents; dear stepmother, Lillian Luthi; and siblings: Raymond, Albert, Harold, Donald, Violet Wulf, and Wilma Kuntz.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that memorial gifts be made to Apostolic Christian LifePoints in Morton, IL.