Ruth Steele Pueblo, Colorado Obituary

Ruth Steele

<p><span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>Ruth Steele, 85,</strong>&nbsp;passed away Jan. 17, 2021. She was born Aug. 9, 1935 in Texas. She is preceded in death by her parents, and son, Anthony Woodfork; siblings, Charles Booker, James R. Booker, Larry Barrett, Marvin Barrett, Arnell Barrett, Gloria Jean Hines, and Virgie Faye Brooks.&nbsp;</span><br /> &nbsp;</p> <p><span style="font-size:14px;">Dr. RUTH STEEL was born in Texas but raised in Pueblo, Colorado, by her grandmother and a loving family. An exceptional and inquisitive student, she skipped grades five, seven, and nine.&nbsp;She graduated from Centennial High School at the age of fifteen. She spent her summers on her sharecropper grandfathers farm. She wanted to become a lawyer, attended Pueblo Junior College. She was a member of the University of Colorado&nbsp;paraprofessional legal class. Although accepted by several law schools, she chose to stay in Colorado to work on the original committee to make Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.&#39;s birthday a state holiday. As the legislative assistant to Wilma Webb and Ari Parks Taylor. A founder of the Black Student Association at Pueblo Community College, Dr. Steel received the Keep Pueblo Beautiful and Junior&nbsp;Achievement awards for promoting African American history education.</span><br /> &nbsp;</p> <p><span style="font-size:14px;">Dr. Steel spearheaded and founded the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Pueblo Colorado Holiday&nbsp;Commission. Since its establishment in 1984, Dr. Steel has been involved with Pueblo&#39;s Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. celebration. Due to Dr. Steele&#39;s&nbsp;leadership, Pueblo was the first city in Colorado to officially acknowledge Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr&#39;s life work and legacy. For her efforts, Mrs. Coretta Scott King awards her with the Dr. Martin Luther King, Humanitarian award. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Pueblo, Colorado Holiday Commission, was incorporated by the&nbsp;Secretary of State in 1989.&nbsp;</span><br /> &nbsp;</p> <p><span style="font-size:14px;">One of Dr. Steel&#39;s significant accomplishments was to save the old Lincoln Home, the African American orphanage, and the old folks home in Pueblo. It was the only orphanage for African American children west of the Mississippi in a seven-state region. It also served as one of the Underground Railroad depots in the 1800s. On March 13,1993, E. M. Christmas donated the Lincoln Home to Dr. Steel and the Southern Dr. Martin Luther King. Jr., Colorado Commission. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Cultural Center and Museum in June 1997. It was placed on the Colorado State Register of Historic Properties on December 10, 1997. The cultural center and its activities are a lasting legacy to Dr. Ruth Steel. One of Dr. Steels proudest moments was upon receiving the original Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Emmitt Till&#39;s statue from Mayor Webb and Denver&#39;s city. This was after Dr. Martin Luther King Jr&#39;s I Have a Dream Monument was built to replace it. Dr. Steel was&nbsp;fond of saying &quot;it is the only statue of Dr. King and Emmitt Till in the universe. Dr. Steel established a relationship with the Sculptor Ed Rose who would clean the statue until his death.&nbsp;</span><br /> &nbsp;</p> <p><span style="font-size:14px;">Dr. Ruth Steel received the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Colorado Holiday Commission&#39;s&nbsp;Trailblazer award, Lifetime Achievement Award, and the Honorable Wilma J. Webb Founders award.&nbsp;</span><br /> &nbsp;</p> <p><span style="font-size:14px;">She is survived by son, Dannie Woodfork; daughter-in-law, Dora Woodfork; siblings, Wanda Collins and Donell Barrett; 16 grandchildren; 13 great grandchildren; 5 great-great grandchildren; several nieces, nephews, host of relatives and friends who&nbsp;will miss her dearly</span><br /> &nbsp;</p> <p><span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>Livestream at 1pm&nbsp; Angelus Chapel Mortuaries - Facebook Page</strong></span></p>
August 9, 1935 - January 17, 202108/09/193501/17/2021
Share Obituary:

Share a memory

Add to your memory
Photos/Video
Candle
Mementos

Obituary

Ruth Steele, 85, passed away Jan. 17, 2021. She was born Aug. 9, 1935 in Texas. She is preceded in death by her parents, and son, Anthony Woodfork; siblings, Charles Booker, James R. Booker, Larry Barrett, Marvin Barrett, Arnell Barrett, Gloria Jean Hines, and Virgie Faye Brooks. 
 

Dr. RUTH STEEL was born in Texas but raised in Pueblo, Colorado, by her grandmother and a loving family. An exceptional and inquisitive student, she skipped grades five, seven, and nine. She graduated from Centennial High School at the age of fifteen. She spent her summers on her sharecropper grandfathers farm. She wanted to become a lawyer, attended Pueblo Junior College. She was a member of the University of Colorado paraprofessional legal class. Although accepted by several law schools, she chose to stay in Colorado to work on the original committee to make Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday a state holiday. As the legislative assistant to Wilma Webb and Ari Parks Taylor. A founder of the Black Student Association at Pueblo Community College, Dr. Steel received the Keep Pueblo Beautiful and Junior Achievement awards for promoting African American history education.
 

Dr. Steel spearheaded and founded the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Pueblo Colorado Holiday Commission. Since its establishment in 1984, Dr. Steel has been involved with Pueblo's Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. celebration. Due to Dr. Steele's leadership, Pueblo was the first city in Colorado to officially acknowledge Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr's life work and legacy. For her efforts, Mrs. Coretta Scott King awards her with the Dr. Martin Luther King, Humanitarian award. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Pueblo, Colorado Holiday Commission, was incorporated by the Secretary of State in 1989. 
 

One of Dr. Steel's significant accomplishments was to save the old Lincoln Home, the African American orphanage, and the old folks home in Pueblo. It was the only orphanage for African American children west of the Mississippi in a seven-state region. It also served as one of the Underground Railroad depots in the 1800s. On March 13,1993, E. M. Christmas donated the Lincoln Home to Dr. Steel and the Southern Dr. Martin Luther King. Jr., Colorado Commission. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Cultural Center and Museum in June 1997. It was placed on the Colorado State Register of Historic Properties on December 10, 1997. The cultural center and its activities are a lasting legacy to Dr. Ruth Steel. One of Dr. Steels proudest moments was upon receiving the original Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Emmitt Till's statue from Mayor Webb and Denver's city. This was after Dr. Martin Luther King Jr's I Have a Dream Monument was built to replace it. Dr. Steel was fond of saying "it is the only statue of Dr. King and Emmitt Till in the universe. Dr. Steel established a relationship with the Sculptor Ed Rose who would clean the statue until his death. 
 

Dr. Ruth Steel received the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Colorado Holiday Commission's Trailblazer award, Lifetime Achievement Award, and the Honorable Wilma J. Webb Founders award. 
 

She is survived by son, Dannie Woodfork; daughter-in-law, Dora Woodfork; siblings, Wanda Collins and Donell Barrett; 16 grandchildren; 13 great grandchildren; 5 great-great grandchildren; several nieces, nephews, host of relatives and friends who will miss her dearly
 

Livestream at 1pm  Angelus Chapel Mortuaries - Facebook Page

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Ruth Steele please visit our Tribute Store.

Events