Leila Marie Ruess, age 77, of Pevely, Missouri, passed away Monday October 20, 2025, at Mercy Hospital Jefferson in Festus, Missouri. She was born August 26, 1948, in Bonne Terre, Missouri, the daughter of the late Viola (nee Gilliam) Madison and the late Merlin Kearns.

She is survived by her husband Ronald P. Ruess; sons Ron (Shelly) Ruess II of Festus and Doug (Nicki) Ruess of Festus; daughters Katie (Chris) Glaze of Festus and Kimberly (Greg) Coleman of Imperial, Missouri; grandchildren Ronald P. (Cieara) Ruess III, Kayla (Andrew) Propst, Dr. Bailey (Dyllon) Parmley, CJ (Zoe) Glaze, Kelby Ruess, Cayden (Sierra) Glaze, Eric Ruess, Vivian Glaze, Lillie Coleman, Carlea Coleman and Sawyer Coleman; great-grandchildren JD Propst, Brooks Propst, Gwendolyn Leila Propst, Dean Ruess, Marcy Ruess, Kolter Parmley and Noah Parmley; and sisters Becky (Dan) Ziegelmeyer of Festus and Joani (Jeff) Jones of Festus.

In addition to her parents, she is preceded in death by stepmother Blondell Kearns, stepfather Bob Madison, and a brother Darrell Kearns.

Leila was a devoted member of First Baptist Church of Festus-Crystal City, where she once taught Sunday school and built lasting friendships rooted in faith and service. Her life was centered around her family, and she found her greatest joy in creating memories with them. Whether it was skiing, horseback riding, camping, relaxing on the beach, Leila made every adventure memorable for her family.

Her grandchildren were her pride and joy, the light of her life. She spent countless hours being their biggest fan and cheerleader—always present, always proud—whether on the sidelines of a game, in the audience of a recital, or simply celebrating their everyday moments. Leila had a gift for making people feel seen and loved. She lived fully, laughed freely, and her radiant smile could brighten any room. Her warmth and generosity left a lasting impression on everyone she met. To know her was to love her.

In her professional life, Leila brought that same spirit of dedication and kindness. She was a retired clerk for the Missouri State Court in Hillsboro. Earlier in her life, she worked at True Value Hardware which her family owned, for the FBI in Washington, D.C., and for State Farm Insurance.

Visitation will be held on Sunday, October 26, from 3:00 to 6:00 p.m. at Vinyard Funeral Home in Festus. Visitation Monday, October 27, will be from 10:00 until the time of funeral services at 11:00 a.m. at First Baptist Church of Festus-Crystal City, officiated by Pastor Carey Jones. Interment will follow at Sandy Baptist Church Cemetery in Hillsboro.

Thank you to Vinyard Funeral Home. Obituary information for Leila Marie Ruess

Paul Barnard Editor

Paul Barnard is the editor of the Twin City News. Barnard Graduated from Norwich University, America's oldest private military college, with a B.S. in Communications and Media Technology. There he studied journalism and marketing. For years after, Barnard was in law enforcement and gained experience in the Special Investigations Unit and publishing all the department's press releases. As Barnard's family grew, he moved on to start Twin City News.

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