Becky Ruth - A legacy family story

For many families, Hesston College isn’t just a place — it’s part of the story that gets passed down.

One alum, Rebecca “Becky” Ruth Ac59, ’62, recently shared her family’s Hesston College legacy — a story that spans four generations and nearly a century. It’s a reminder of how deeply HC can become woven into a family’s life.

While Hesston College started out as a Mennonite school and drew primarily Mennonite students for decades, Becky’s family didn’t fit the mold. All four generations that attended HC were not Mennonite. In addition to Becky, her family story includes:

• Her parents, Robert “Bob” Ruth Ac29 and Cecile (Stratton) Ac33 Ruth
• Her sister, Mary Catherine Ruth Ac55
• Her daughters, Rachel (Regier) ’89 Short and Molly (Regier) ’91 Anderson
• And her granddaughter, Tess Anderson ’21

Growing up just steps from campus, Hesston College was part of everyday life for Becky’s family.

“Having grown up in Hesston on the corner of Main Street and Academy, HC was, for all these years, an integral part of my life,” she shares.

While some buildings from her time are gone or have changed, Becky’s memories are vivid and joyful. She remembers watching basketball games in Athletic Hall, attending lectures and concerts in Hess Memorial Hall, roller skating on campus sidewalks, attending open houses in the dorms, playing at the bird sanctuary and even sliding down the concrete ramp behind Hess Hall.

“I do remember when Hess Memorial Hall was completed and thinking that it was a rather ‘grand’ place,” she recalls.

But what mattered most wasn’t just the campus — it was the sense of belonging.

“Even though being non-Mennonite and living off campus, I always felt a part of the academic community,” Becky explains. “Good friendships were formed during my six years at HC, and I continue to this day to cherish good memories of class time and the wonderful teachers and professors who were an invaluable part of my education.”

That feeling — of being known, welcomed and shaped — is still at the heart of Hesston College today.