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Minnie Ruth (Solomon) Owens 1915 - 2001

Minnie Ruth (Solomon) Owens was born on April 27, 1915 in Macon, Bibb County, Georgia United States. She was married to Jesse Owens, and they were together until Jesse's death on March 31, 1980. Minnie Owens died at age 86 years old on June 27, 2001 in Chicago, Cook County, Illinois, and was buried at Oak Woods Cemetery 1035 E 67th St, in Chicago.

Minnie Ruth (Solomon) Owens

Minnie Ruth Owens (Solomon)

April 27, 1915

Macon, Bibb County, Georgia, United States

June 27, 2001

Chicago, Cook County, Illinois, United States

Female

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Minnie Ruth (Solomon) Owens Minnie Owens (1915 - 2001)

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Minnie Ruth (Solomon) Owens' History: 1915 - 2001

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Introduction

Minnie Ruth Solomon Owens BIRTH 27 Apr 1915 Macon, Bibb County, Georgia, USA DEATH 27 Jun 2001 (aged 86) Chicago, Cook County, Illinois, USA BURIAL Oak Woods Cemetery Chicago, Cook County, Illinois, USA PLOT Calm Vista MEMORIAL ID 22756404 · View Source MEMORIAL PHOTOS 7 FLOWERS 25 Ruth S. Owens, 86 Widow of Olympian Chaired foundation When Jesse Owens jumped and ran his way to four gold medals at the 1936 Olympics, putting the lie to Hitler's claims of Aryan racial superiority, his wife was at home with their first child. Although the expense of the trip was too great for them both to attend the Berlin Games, Ruth S. Owens was beside her track-star husband every step of the way before and after, preserving and spreading his legacy for generations. Mrs. Owens, 86, the longtime board chairwoman of the Jesse Owens Foundation, died of heart failure Wednesday, June 27, in her Hyde Park home. Mrs. Owens first met her husband, who already was a budding track star, in junior high school. He said "hello," she pretended she didn't hear him, and soon they were sharing doughnuts, said daughter Marlene Owens Rankin. They were married for nearly 48 years until his 1980 death. "She saw them as partners," her daughter said. They raised three daughters and were involved in numerous charitable organizations, with a special fondness for those geared toward children. Her husband was an Up With People board member and helped start the ARCO/Jesse Owens Games, a summer track and field competition for children across the country that culminated with scholarships for the winners. When he died, Mrs. Owens took his Up With People board seat and continued serving as an ARCO ambassador, making appearances and greeting the children at the games, her daughter said. Nearly 11 million children, including Carl Lewis, had participated by the event's end a few years ago. "She protected [Jesse Owens'] legacy and guarded it with all of her being," her daughter said. "She was chairman of the Jesse Owens Foundation, which existed to perpetuate his legacy. It was sort of the embodiment of him and how he spent his life. She was at the center of it." Mrs. Owens was board chairwoman and an active fundraiser for the foundation formed 21 years ago to give scholarships and a chance to average students who were active in the community. More than 270 children have since earned the four-year, $2,000 annual scholarships, and 97 percent graduated from college, said her daughter, the current executive director. The foundation added mentoring and donations to youth-oriented organizations to its activities. Mrs. Owens was a strong, independent woman, said son-in-law Stuart Rankin. "She went by Ruth Owens. She didn't go by Mrs. Jesse Owens, although she was very proud of all that," he said. Mrs. Owens loved playing bridge, viewing sports and watching the Olympics. "She used to watch Michael Jordan religiously," her son-in-law said. Mrs. Owens is also survived by two other daughters, Gloria Hemphill and Beverly Prather; five grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren. Visitation will be held from 3 to 6 p.m. Monday at Griffin Funeral Home, 3232 S. King Drive, and at 10 a.m. Tuesday at First Unitarian Church of Hyde Park, followed by an 11 a.m. funeral service. 29 Jun 2001, Chicago Tribune News. Chicago, Cook, Illinois Family Members Parents John W. Solomon 1884–1935 Ellen Pugh Solomon 1887–1974 Spouse of Jesse Owens 1913–1980 (m. 1935) Inscription Devoted Wife - Beloved Mother Flowers • 25 Left by Kay on 15 Sep 2019
04/27

1915

Birthday

April 27, 1915

Birthdate

Macon, Bibb County, Georgia United States

Birthplace

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Professional Career

Ruth S. Owens, the widow of the Olympian Jesse Owens and the longtime chairwoman of the foundation honoring his legacy, died Wednesday. She was 86.
06/27

2001

Death

June 27, 2001

Death date

Unknown
Cause of death

Chicago, Cook County, Illinois United States
Death location

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Gravesite & Burial

mm/dd/yyyy
Funeral date
Oak Woods Cemetery 1035 E 67th St, in Chicago, Cook County, Illinois 60637, United States
Burial location
Obituary

Ruth Owens, 86, Widow of Jesse Owens By The Associated Press June 30, 2001 Ruth S. Owens, the widow of the Olympian Jesse Owens and the longtime chairwoman of the foundation honoring his legacy, died Wednesday. She was 86. She died of heart failure at her home in the Hyde Park neighborhood. She and Jesse Owens, who died in 1980, were married for nearly 48 years. Jesse Owens jumped and ran his way to four gold medals at the 1936 Berlin Olympics, defeating Adolf Hitler's claims of Aryan racial superiority. Because the trip to the Games was too expensive, Ruth Owens stayed at home with their first child. ''She protected his legacy and guarded it with all of her being,'' Marlene Owens Rankin said of her mother. ''It was sort of the embodiment of him and how he spent his life. She was at the center of it.'' Ruth Owens was chairwoman and an active fund-raiser for the foundation formed 21 years ago to give scholarships to average students active in the community. She was also an ambassador of the Jesse Owens Games, a summer track and field competition that granted scholarships to children across the country. She is survived by three daughters, Marlene Owens Rankin, Gloria Hemphill and Beverly Prather; five grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.

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Did you know?

Minnie Ruth (Solomon) Owens lived 13 years longer than the average family member when died at the age of 86.

The average age of a Solomon family member is 73.

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