It started with a pencil: Dick and Ruth Ann’s story

Dick and Ruth Ann’s Story

When Ruth Ann (Detweiler) ’60 and Dick Toews ’60 first came to Hesston in 1958, they had no idea the small Kansas town would become the place where they would build their lives together.

They came to Hesston College as students, met during their first year and married in 1961. They raised a family, worked in the community, served their neighbors and opened their home to generations of Hesston College students.

Now, 65 years after their wedding, Hesston is still home.

“There were some rocky parts in life, but there were some really good ones,” Dick said.

“Most of the good ones are here,” Ruth Ann elaborated. “Family, friends and faith are what's important to us and have helped us through our time together.”

It started with a pencil

Dick and Ruth Ann’s story began before they officially met.

Ruth Ann remembers seeing Dick when their high schools played against each other in softball. She was attending Corn Bible Academy, while Dick was at Oklahoma Bible Academy.

“I went over with our softball team to play softball at Corn,” Dick said.

“I saw him, and I said, ‘Oh, wow, he’s cute,’” Ruth Ann shared.

Unfortunately, Ruth Ann soon learned Dick already had a girlfriend.

“His cousin happened to be standing by me,” Ruth Ann explained, “and she said, ‘Oh, don’t look. He’s had a girlfriend for three years. They’ll be getting married when he’s out of school.’”

That didn’t stop their paths from crossing again.

When both arrived at Hesston College in 1958, they met during Walk a Mile, what used to be a traditional Opening Weekend activity where students had the opportunity to meet one another.

“I did go to him, and we started talking and laughing,” Ruth Ann said.

She noticed he was wearing a ring on his little finger, but that didn’t keep them from enjoying the evening.

Later, Ruth Ann spotted Dick walking down the sidewalk while she was in the library.

“I got my pencil out and dropped it down the window,” she said.

The pencil got his attention.

From college students to newlyweds

The two eventually began dating, then they were married May 19, 1961.

Their early years together were filled with small, ordinary moments that would eventually become cherished memories.

For a short time after their wedding, they even lived in the basement of Ruth Ann’s parents while waiting for their apartment to become available.

“Her parents were just super, super nice,” Dick said.

Dick remembers Ruth Ann’s resourcefulness during their early years. When they needed a car, they were able to pay cash because Ruth Ann had saved her money.

“That was kind of one of our things, though,” Ruth Ann said. “I’m a tight person.”

Dick chuckled.

Over the years, they learned how to navigate the ordinary challenges of marriage — and plenty of unexpected ones.

Dick spent decades serving with the local ambulance department, which meant he could be called away at any time. He remembers having his keys, wallet and other necessities ready so he could get out the door quickly. His goal was to make it from the house to town in three minutes. That dedication occasionally created some interesting moments at home.

One night, Ruth Ann had rearranged the bedroom furniture. Dick, exhausted after working multiple jobs, came home and went to bed without noticing. Later that night, his pager went off. He jumped out of bed, ready to respond, and suddenly found himself disoriented.

Ruth Ann had moved the bed. After all those years, they learned to laugh at the unexpected parts of life.

Hesston became home

When Dick and Ruth Ann arrived in Hesston, the town had around 800 people. They watched the community change over the years, and today, its population is nearly 4,000.

While they changed alongside it, Hesston College remained a major part of their lives. Ruth Ann worked at the college for 31 years in the registrar’s office. Dick worked in maintenance for several years before eventually dedicating much of his career to emergency services.

Their connection to the college extended beyond their jobs. For more than 40 years, they lived in a house across from the church on campus. Their home became a place where students could stop by, visit and spend time with them.

“They came out to our house a lot,” Ruth Ann recalled.

That connection to Hesston College also became part of their family’s story. Their sons, Bob ’83 and Rick ’85 ’86, attended Hesston College, and their son Randall worked at the college as an environmental services manager. Their grandson Trevor ’13 and granddaughter Julian ’21 also attended as well.

For Ruth Ann, those relationships became some of her favorite memories. Even years later, she remains in contact with some of the students she met through her work at the college.

What began with two students arriving on campus in 1958 grew into a connection that reached across generations — through education, work, friendships and family.

What they would tell today’s students

When asked what advice they would give current Hesston College students, Dick pointed back to the relationships he and Ruth Ann formed during their college years.

“A lot of our college experience was the social interaction with different people,” he said.

For Dick and Ruth Ann, those relationships did not end when they left college. They continued through church, work, community service, family and friendships.

Their story is a reminder that college can become much more than an education. It can be where people find lifelong friends, discover a community and begin the relationships that shape the rest of their lives.

For Dick and Ruth Ann, that story began in Hesston in 1958. It continued through 65 years of marriage. And it is still being written.

They came to Hesston as two young college students. They stayed. And somewhere along the way, Hesston became home.