Ruthanna M. Brooks

To view Ruthann's funeral service via livestream, please click on the link below. A recording will be available after the service.

Ruthanna M. Brooks (86), was welcomed into the arms of her Savior on Friday, September 18, 2026 at her home in West Grove, Pennsylvania.

She was born on February 27, 1940, in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, to Samuel and Ruth Musselman. Growing up on a farm, she helped feed the chickens and milk the family’s Guernsey cow. As a young girl, she worked alongside her mother making pies and other baked goods to sell at the local market. Through these experiences she learned the value of hard work and the simple joys of providing for others.

After high school, she moved to the Philadelphia area to be with her sister, Esther. She started attending the Philadelphia Gospel Temple, where she met Howard (Rod) R. Brooks, Jr. Rod and Ruthanna entered into the covenant of marriage on June 23, 1962. Together, they built a life rooted in their faith and centered on Jesus, allowing His love to guide their commitment and devotion to one another for more than 64 years of marriage.

In 1974, Rod and Ruthanna established Koinonia Christian Ministries to minister to the community of Kennett Square, Pennsylvania. The branches of this ministry, Koinonia Christian Bookstore, Spanish Health Ministry, and Good Neighbors Home Repair Ministry, touched countless lives in Kennett Square and the surrounding communities.

She loved her family deeply and cherished every opportunity to spend time with them. These moments brought her great joy. Ruthanna loved planning family gatherings and was well known for her famous recipes including sticky buns, potato salad, and homemade applesauce. She was especially well known for her pies. She lovingly passed along the recipes and skills she had learned by her mother’s side, teaching her children and grandchildren how to bake, cook, and create many of the same cherished foods she made growing up. In this way, the traditions of her childhood became a treasured part of the legacy she left with her family.

Ruthanna was very creative and found joy in bringing beauty and life to the things she touched. She loved working with her hands and expressed her creativity in many ways—through music, sewing, arranging flowers, baking, and cooking. Music held a particularly special place in her heart. She played the piano and sang. Her musical gifts were beautifully honed as she accompanied her sister, Esther, as her pianist. Whether she was making music, creating something with her hands, or preparing something special for her family, she had a gift for turning her creativity into expressions of love.

There was something unmistakable about her laugh. It came from deep within her, uninhibited and full of life, as though the joy of the Lord had simply bubbled over. We will all miss her laugh and her beautiful smile.

Ruthanna was a woman of deep and abiding faith in her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Whether worshiping and singing at the piano, studying the Word, or spending time on her knees in prayer, she lived out her faith every day.

The legacy Ruthanna built with her husband, Howard (Rod) lives on in her 6 children: Deborah and her husband, Matthew Voshell; Daniel and his wife, Susan Brooks; Shalom and her husband, Edward Russo; Rebecca and her husband, Brian Harvell; Dawn and her husband, Todd Harrison; Ruth Amy and her husband, Kyle Lucas. In addition, she is survived by her 14 grandchildren: Joshua and his wife, Ashley Voshell; Emily (Voshell) and her husband, Kevin Valvano; Anna, Matthew, and Jessica Russo; Madison and Tyler Harvell; Elisabeth (Harrison) and her husband, Elliot Dunn; Caleb and Jacob Harrison; Isaiah, Benjamin, Abigail, and Naomi Lucas. For the grand finale, her 8 great-grandchildren are: Charlotte, Luke, Brooks, Fitz, and Cora Voshell; Eliana, Dominick, and Roman Valvano, with another Valvano expected in November.

Ruthanna, enjoy worshiping in the presence of your Savior.

Ruthanna’s family will receive visitors from 3:00-4:00pm on Friday, September 25, 2026 at Willowdale Chapel, 675 Unionville Road, Kennett Square, Pennsylvania, followed by a Celebration of Life service at 4:00pm. Ruthanna loved color and she expressed that in the clothing she wore. We invite you to wear color as we gather to remember and celebrate her. She will be laid to rest in a private ceremony at Union Hill Cemetery in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Derek Prince Ministries in her honor. www.derekprince.com

Arrangements are by Grieco Funeral Home & Crematory, Inc. of Kennett Square (484-734-8100). To view Ruthanna's online obituary and leave a condolence for the family, please visit www.griecofunerals.com.