Ruth Ann Dufore, 81, of Shelby, passed away Friday, July 31, 2026, surrounded by her loved ones. She was born April 30,1945 in Shelby, the daughter of Oscar and Bernardine (Schroeder) Neuman.

There was a great, unyielding weight to Ruth DuFore, the kind of substance found in old timber or a deep-rooted vine. She did not move through this world on tiptoes. She walked it boldly, with a sharp eye and a tongue that cut clean through the sugarcoating of life. To know her was to understand that truth and love are often the same hard thing, delivered with a raised eyebrow, a flash of sarcasm, and a wit so fierce it could make a person laugh until they were sore. She was a woman of sudden music—a song always waiting on her lips to mark a passing moment, sung loud and clear whether the world was ready to listen or not.

Her faith was no Sunday suit worn for appearance; it was the very soil she grew in, a rugged and living thing. She loved her Savior with the consuming passion of a laborer who knows the hard-won value of grace, and she was entirely unapologetic about it. She did not keep her Jesus in a quiet pocket. She held Him up like a lantern in the dark, insisting that the light belonged to you just as much as it did to her. In her stubborn, beautiful way, her greatest desire was to see every soul she loved anchored safely in that same mercy.

She was the magnet of her family, a loud and fierce protector whose love consumed every waking hour. She was a woman who lived to stir the waters, always convinced she was the funniest person in the room—and most of the time, the world agreed with her. She could be harsh and tender in a single breath, yet no one ever mistook the grit of her words for anything less than a profound devotion to her kids and grandkids. She showed those around her what it means to truly belong to a family—to live unhinged, creative, full of roaring laughter, and completely true to the clay you were made from.

Now she has gone into that long evening, right where she always pointed her compass. One can easily picture her arriving at the great threshold with her unfiltered wit intact, bringing a sharp and beautiful noise to the halls of heaven. She is likely trading jokes with the saints, keeping the angels on their toes, and filling the high places with her laughter. She leaves behind a legacy as solid as rock: a life of unwavering faith, a fierce and heavy love, and the memory of a woman who was, without a doubt, the favorite of the flock.

Thank you, God, for our Best Friend, Our Sister, our Ma, our Gram, our Jesus Freak.

Ruth is survived by: her children, Beth (Randy) DuFore, Teresa (Darrell) Lusk and Joe (Alexa) DuFore; grandchildren, Kinzie Madison, Ruth, Jonah, Luke, Ivy, Ella, Sara, Isaiah, and Aviana; great-grandchildren, Benjamin, Ada, John, Vienna, and Nora; brothers Randy (Donna), Jim (Ann) and Tom (Jane)

A celebration of the Life of Ruth DuFore will be held at 6 PM, Friday, August 7, 2026, at Our Savior Lutheran Church, 2087 N. Water Road, Hart, Michigan 49420. Refreshments and storytelling to follow.

Please join us as we gather to remember, honor, and celebrate Ruth and her journey home to her Savior’s arms.

Harris Funeral Home, in Shelby, is assisting with arrangements.

www.harrisfhome.com