Adeline Ann Ruenzi
Adeline Ann Ruenzi was born on August 16, 1877, in St. Charles, Missouri. She attended public schools and Sacred Heart Academy of St. Charles, as well as normal school at Nerinx, Kentucky. She trained to become a nun, but she changed her mind shortly before taking her vows. She knew she was losing her sight and did not want to burden the sisters of the convent. She worked as a teacher in St. Louis for five years and then as a secretary in railroad and legal offices, totaling ten years of employment as a sighted woman.
She developed progressive myopia at the age of ten and suffered retinal detachment at the age of thirty after being hit by a child’s ball. She decided to dedicate the rest of her life to helping the sightless. However, there were no programs in Missouri for training the adult blind, so she started her own rehabilitation at home. She used her previous teaching and business skills to help her. She obtained a Braille alphabet and some books from the Missouri School for the Blind and taught herself to read and write. She also learned all the handicrafts that were available at that time. After this preparation, she volunteered as an instructor for the blind in St. Charles, Missouri, in 1924, teaching them in their homes.
In 1915, Miss Ruenzi became a Home Teacher for the State of Missouri, employed by the Missouri Commission for the Blind. She was the first home teacher for the state and one of the pioneers of the Commission, which had just been established.
Home teaching for the adult blind in Missouri started in September 1915. Miss Ruenzi was the first home teacher, but she faced challenges due to limited transportation and travel funds. She had to find ways to teach the blind across the state, so she developed a method of instruction through correspondence. From 1915 to 1921, she taught several thousand people in person or by mail. She also trained the first blind home teacher for the state of Louisiana.
The demand for home teaching grew, and more teachers were hired to reduce Miss Ruenzi’s workload. By 1924, she became the Director of Braille Transcribing of the American Red Cross, St. Louis Chapter. She trained over 200 volunteers who hand-transcribed printed books into braille for the St. Louis Public Library.
In 1927, Miss Ruenzi became the Assistant Secretary and Head Home Teacher of the Commission for the Blind. Her territory was reduced to the city of St. Louis and St. Louis and St. Charles Counties. She organized large groups of volunteer workers and a sales department to sell products made by the blind. From 1927 to 1930, four more home teachers joined the staff, allowing Miss Ruenzi to supervise the home teaching department. She also introduced innovative teaching methods for the newly blind, such as using dominoes to explain the braille cell, using fingers instead of crochet hooks or knitting needles, and teaching penmanship with a special device.
The employment of another home Teacher reduced her territory to one-half of the State. During the next few years six more teachers were appointed to share the growing responsibilities.
In 1924, Miss Ruenzi was appointed Director of Braille Transcribing of the American Red Cross, St. Louis Chapter and trained over 200 volunteer Brallier’s who hand-transcribed printed books into braille for the St. Louis Public Library.
In 1927 Miss Ruenzi was appointed Assistant Secretary and Head Home Teacher and her territory was reduced to the city of St. Louis, and St Louis and St. Charles Counties. As Assistant Secretary she organized large groups of volunteer workers as well as a sales department to enable the Commission to sell blind-made products. From 1927 to 1930 four more Home Teachers were added to the staff relieving Miss Ruenzi of actual teaching duties, allowing her to accept the job of Supervisor of Home Teaching department of the Commission for the Blind. In her teachings, she originated the idea of comparing the six of dominoes to the Braille cell, which proved to be of great assistance to the adult pupil who was newly blind; this method was eventually used nationally. Also, as a further aid when teaching the newly blind pupil, she introduced the method of having pupils use their fingers instead of crochet hooks for knitting needles to familiarize them with the methods of the operation of crocheting or knitting. Anxious for the blind to learn the use of penmanship, she devised an aluminum script alphabet plate which became in use both in the United States and foreign countries.
Miss Ruenzi was co-founder of the Industrial Aid for the Blind now known as the Lighthouse for the Blind. In March 1934, she founded and organized the Cultural and Service Club for the Blind, the purpose: To serve the blind wherever and whenever possible. She was elected President and Director of the Service Club for the Blind which position she held until 1971.
Miss Ruenzi was a pioneer in organizing radio funds for the blind. In 1929, she helped set up one such fund, which her friends named after her: the “Adeline Ruenzi Radio Fund for the Blind”. She served as its advisor until her death.
Miss Ruenzi received many recognitions and honors throughout her life. She was listed in Who’s Who and awarded orchids on the “Good Neighbor” and Tom Brenneman’s “Breakfast at Sardis” radio programs. In May 1947, she was chosen as one of the “Women of Achievement” in St. Louis for her remarkable work for the blind. She attended a reception and banquet at the Hotel Jefferson in St. Louis, where she was among the 48 honorees. She received the loudest applause as “a blind woman who had dedicated her life to service to the blind”.
In October 1947, Miss Ruenzi founded the Carver League for the Negro Blind, an organization that provided entertainment and recreation for the black blind community. The league was housed in the Wolfner Library Building in St. Louis. In 1958, the St. Louis Argus gave Miss Ruenzi the “Distinguished Public Service Award” for her excellent work with the Carver League.
Miss Ruenzi passed away in 1971 at age 95, leaving behind a legacy of 70 years of devotion and extraordinary service to the blind community.