Ruth Aileen Coffey

Heaven welcomed a faithful, loving, caring, and unforgettable servant, Ruth Aileen (Feuerstein) Coffey (July 24, 1927 – August 25, 2026) surrounded by her loving family and faithful friends into the Savior’s presence at the age of 99. She has joined her beautiful voice to the Heavenly Choir in singing the praises of His faithfulness, goodness, and mercy all the days of her life here on earth.

Her life’s journey began as the long-awaited daughter to Jacob Feuerstein (February 8, 1892, Norka, Russia – April 27, 1974, Fresno, California) and Viola (Winger) Feuerstein (July 21, 1899, Barkeyville, PA – May 31, 1952, Fresno, California). They were married in 1918 and waited for their joyous blessing for 9 years. Ruth was the delight of her parents’ hearts and the apple of their eye. Her parents were missionaries in El Tocuyo, Venezuela, where they made a great impact on the countryside town. When she was 18 months old, having been born in the United States, the family returned to Venezuela to continue their work among the people. She was raised in the culture, food, and language of the Venezuelan people. Spanish was her first language. It was here that Ruth spent the first 11 years of her life.

In 1938, her life took a dramatic turn. Here are a few excerpts from her own eloquent writing concerning this change:

Summer 1938- The unforgettable life-changing year of my life! Memories! Vivid one…sad ones, joyful ones!..excited expectancy yet fearfully unspoken trepidations over my grown-up journey from Venezuela, South America, to the United States of America accompanied by Richard Holmberg, son of missionary parents, also, and a lady missionary call “Aunt Carrie”.

I remember little of the long 14 day journey, as my heartstrings were still torn from standing tippy- toe on the deck of the HUGE ocean Grace liner as she slowly disconnected herself from the wharf and stealthily and persistently moved into the deep blue waters of the Atlantic….all the while I was tearfully waving good-bye to my Mother and Daddy standing on the deck unable to control their anguished sobs as their little 11 year old girl moved steadily out to sea and to what they believed to be the “very best for her future.”

Myriads of thoughts and emotions raced through my heart and mind as well as my whole body, ---anguish, loneliness, fear, at the same time self-confidence and a satisfaction at being trusted to go on such a long journey for such a long time “all by myself” ---independence!

My little head was racing wildly with bewildering thoughts---all midst the paralyzing hollow sounds of a blasting fog horn, rattling of huge chains, swishing of endless snake-like ropes, and the ebbing sight of the two most loved human beings on this earth to me.

And why was all this happening to me? Being the only child of missionary parents, Jake and Viola Feuerstein (they had waited for me for nine years) had a desire to see me have a chance of being educated where I could interrelate with peers and experience a less lonesome upbringing. Up to this time all my schooling had been given to me through a correspondence course.

By the age of 11, the Venezuelan people were my people, their language my language, their food my food, their customs and habits my LIFE! The identification with “my people” was so complete that when my parent’s brought me home on furlough for the first time I cried loudly for “black beans and rice!” at a scrumptious and elegant family dinner of turkey and dressing with all the trimmings!

Thus, it was that through the recommendation of other missionary parents, the Westervelt Home (South Carolina) was chosen to be my home for the next 7 years of my life…the most formative ones indeed. Needless to say, I soon became aware I was no longer the “delight of my parents’ hearts” nor the “apple of their eye” but rather just another one of the “little girls learning how to study in a real school, share with others, embroider, darn, quilt, knit, cook, clean, and all the rest. I remember it was during World War II, and, wanting to cooperate with all we could, we not only picked hundreds of bales of cotton, but we also knit many a wool cap and scarf for our boys out of that green colored yarn! Somehow, I have never since had a yen for that color!

Those were lonesome but rewarding times together with other girls my age, teaching our fingers to be nimble and quick and listening to the stories Aunt Lily used to read us from the Little Colonel Series. This was my first introduction to “Cambridge Tea”! (hot water with milk and a teaspoonful of sugar!) Amazingly enough it did taste like tea to me. Besides, having that was a real grown-up privilege!

Our times of devotions and Scripture memorization had a dynamic impact on my life. Engraved upon my heart is the thundering phrase, “THE HEAVENS DECLARE THE GLORY OF GOD AND THE FIRMAMENT SHOWETH HIS HANDIWORK…”” Then there would be the ever inward weeping plea… ”Lead me to the rock that is higher than I”, and “As a heart panteth after the waterbrooks, so panteth my soul after Thee, Oh God!” Only He could fill that vacuum in my heart ever drawing me unto Himself. … “Deep calling unto Deep”! This was all Divinely ordered preparation for the future ministry to the hurting and lonely He was to place my husband and me in.

Through Divine intervention, Ruth met the love of her life, Howard Stanley Coffey, a young, handsome missionary that worked with her Aunt Ada and Uncle in Colombia, while he was on furlough in the States. Their romance was through correspondence for two years while she finished her schooling and he returned to the mission field. They were married in California in December of 1945. At their wedding, he surprised her by singing a love song he had written on Lake Maracaibo to the tune of Londonderry Air titled “My Ruth Aileen”. They began their life together by returning to the mission field and remained married for over 55 years before Howard’s passing in 2001.

Ruth described their life together as blessed eventful years. She goes on to say, “They were filled with exciting and fruitful experiences, seeing lives transformed, especially young lives that today are serving the Lord. Those years have brought dark clouds, too, like ’69 when Howard was given only an hour to live. An emergency operation saved his life. God intervened!”

Together they were resident missionaries in Colombia, Venezuela, and Cuba, and involved in home missions in the USA. They also ministered in Mexico, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Argentina, Brazil, Panama, Puerto Rico, and in Spanish speaking ministries in Florida, California, Texas, and New York. On the field, their principal ministries were pastoring and teaching, including churches, Bible Schools and Children’s Day Schools.

An exciting part of their ministry in Cuba during a period of tremendous revival and church growth just prior to Castro, was the radio ministry, “La Hora Evangelica”, on national network. This was continued in Florida during the early years of the Cuban crisis, in conjunction with this Cuban refugee church ministry in Miami. They also served as simultaneous interpreters for a number of years for Key Biscayne Presbyterian Church, while Howard also worked in the Cuban Refugee Program of the Department of Health, Education and Welfare as an interviewer and placement officer.

Among the ministries that followed were Founders of the Full Gospel Crusade (Hotel Evangelistic Ministry-Miami); Founders and Pastors of Bethel Christian Fellowship (Florida and North Carolina); Directors/Counsellors of the Lord’s Mountain Institute of Basic Christian Training (a rehabilitation center for young men and women, ages 18-35 in North Carolina); and Universidad Christiana Autonoma Nacional UCAN (Cuernavaca, Mexico).

Family was important to Ruth, and she always said that she was blessed during those busy years with five wonderful children. She lived a long, beautiful life centered around her deep love for her large and growing family including many grafted members especially Annie Nava of Mexico.

Ruth was preceded in death by her parents, Jacob and Viola Feuerstein of Fresno, California; her beloved husband, Howard S. Coffey of Cuernavaca, Mexico; her eldest son, Robert S. Coffey of Tulsa, Oklahoma; her daughters-in-law, Maria Guadalupe Coffey of San Antonio, Texas, and Lenore Coffey of Charlotte, North Carolina; and her grandson, Stephen Coffey of Charlotte, North Carolina.

Her legacy of love and family lives on through her surviving children, daughters-in-law, and son-in-law: Rio Ella Coffey, wife of the late Robert of Tulsa, Oklahoma; John M. Coffey and his wife Nell of San Antonio, Texas; Ron E. Coffey of Charlotte, North Carolina; William P. Coffey and his wife Jennifer of Tulsa, Oklahoma; and Mary E. and her husband Rob Kiser, of Bulverde Texas.

Ruth was the proud grandmother of 14 grandchildren. They are Raphael Coffey, Alice Coffey, Jacob Coffey, and Catherine Kali; John Jerrold 'Jerry' Coffey and wife Krista, Michael Paul Coffey, and Adonna Michelle Carillo; Rachel Shaw and husband CJ; Bailey Carroll, Justina Fields and her husband Nick, and Lucky Geary and husband Max; Elizabeth Kiser, Catherine McCallum and husband Jon, and Hannah Hawk and husband Taylor.

She was also the great-grandmother of seven great-grandchildren: Yadupati Hodak, Makenzie S. Coffey, Oscar D. Carillo, Juan L. Carillo, Mia Lenore Shaw, Jadelynn Coffey, and Ryder McCallum.

Ruth deeply touched everyone she met, never knowing a stranger. She was genuinely interested in each person’s story and listened intently without judgment. She exuded the love of Christ to everyone she crossed paths with and lived the overcoming life daily. Her Rock and Foundation was her relationship with Jesus Christ and she loved to share that with family, friends and strangers alike. Her life’s goal was to be more like Him each and every day and to love unconditionally. To be with her brought joy whether it was cooking, cleaning, talking, praying, listening to her play the piano, at church or home, enjoying the beauty of a tree or plant, playing with her grandchildren, or simply sitting quietly by her side, she was the light and the calm in the room. She was ever curious and loved to learn each day. She loved God’s creation. Her welcoming and loving presence cannot be replaced.

She can truly say, “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith.” (2 Timothy 4:7)

Her Lord said unto her, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy Lord.(Matthew 25:21)

A Celebration Service will be announced at a later date.