Ruth Jennie Askren, 81, of Springfield, Missouri, was welcomed into Heaven at 9:04 pm on Tuesday, April 23, 2013, after a long battle with cancer. Ruth was born in Indianapolis, Indiana on February 22, 1931. She graduated from Lawrence Central High in 1950, and married Raymond on May 25, 1954. Ruth accepted Christ as her Savior in November of 1957, and in the early 1960's Ray and Ruth came to Springfield to attend Baptist Bible College, and to establish the Bethel Baptist Church. They are currently members of the Dale Street Baptist Church. Ruth was preceded in death by her parents, Warren and Nellie Griswold, and her brother Dale Griswold, all of Indiana. She is survived by her husband Raymond, and five children-Robyn, Rhonda (Taylor, MI), Raymond, Jr., Roberta (Carleton, MI) and Ralph, and sister Dora Young (Anderson, IN). She was also the proud Nanny of seventeen grandchildren, and eleven great-grandchildren. When asked by some of her granddaughters to describe her, they used the words Godly, compassionate, sweet, patient, and loving. Ruth will be in state at the Gorman-Scharpf Funeral Home on Friday, April 26, 2013 from 5--8pm, with her services on Saturday at 10 am at Dale Street Baptist Church. Burial will be at Greenlawn North Cemetery.