Ruth Dorothy Free

1919 - 1999  (79 years)

• Name	Ruth Dorothy Free
  	Father: William Free (1895-1969) Mother: Ruth Johnson (1895-1976) [1]
  Birth	18 Jun 1919	Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania, U.S.A.   [1, 2, 3, 4]
  Census	1920 (0 years)	Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania, U.S.A.   [5]
  In the 1920 US Census, she was recorded as age 1 month, living at 6140 Chancellor Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania with her parents.
  Census	1930 (10 years)	Marple Township, Delaware County, Pennsylvania, U.S.A.   [6]
  In the 1930 US Census, she was recorded as age 10, living on Sprout Road, Marple Township, Delaware County, Pennsylvania with her parents.
  Census	1940 (20 years)	Upper Darby Township, Delaware County, Pennsylvania, U.S.A.   [7]
  In the 1940 US Census, she was recorded as age 20, living at 423 Larchwood Avenue, Upper Darby Township, Delaware County, Pennsylvania with her parents. She was a sales clerk.
  Census	1950 (30 years)	Upper Darby Township, Delaware County, Pennsylvania, U.S.A.   [2]
  In the 1950 US Census, she was recorded as age 30, living at 1131 Cornell Street, Upper Darby Township, Delaware County, Pennsylvania.
  Death	27 Mar 1999	Bedminster Township, Bucks County, Pennsylvania, U.S.A.   [1, 3, 4]
  Age: 79
  Agency: at home
  Obituary	31 Mar 1999 (79 years)  [1]
  RUTH D. GALLAGHER Ruth Dorothy Gallagher, 79, of Bedminster, died Saturday, March 27, 1999 at her residence. She had been in failing health. She was the wife of Joseph Gallagher Sr. Born in Philadelphia, she was a daughter of the late William and Ruth (Johnson) Free. She had lived in Bedminster for 28 years and was formerly from Drexel Hill. She graduated from Upper Darby High School. Mrs. Gallagher was a member of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Catholic Church in Doylestown. She enjoyed cooking, playing bridge, sewing and needlepoint. Besides her husband, she was survived by four daughters: Susan Closkey and her husband Tony of Butler; Patricia Ann Magnus of Clinton, Mass.; Bonnie Cavanaugh and her husband John of Maple Glen and and Ruth Ann Gallagher of Aiken, S.C.; two sons: Joseph Gallagher Jr. and his wife Kathy of Charlotte, N.C.; and John "Kip" Gallagher and his wife Celeste of West Townsend, Mass.; 13 grandchildren; three greatgrandchildren; a sister, Joan DuGan of Levittown; and many nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by two sisters, Olga Ackerman and Lillian Cartledge; and a brother, William Jr. A funeral mass was celebrated Wednesday at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church with interment in St. John Neuman Cemetery, Chalfont. Memorial contributions may be made to St. Vincent DePaul Society, c/o Lady of Mt. Carmel Rectory, 235 E. State Street, Doylestown, Pa. 18901. The Simcox-McIlvaine Funeral Home, Lansdale, handled arrangements. Published by The News Herald, 31 March 1999
  Burial	31 Mar 1999	Saint John Neumann Cemetery, Chalfont, Bucks County, Pennsylvania, U.S.A. Saint John Neumann Cemetery, Chalfont,  Pennsylvania   [1, 4]
  	Gravestone of Ruth Dorothy (Free) Gallagher Plot: Section 14, Range 11, #79
  Person ID, Branch	I26064
  Last Modified	2 Jul 2026

  
  

  Spouse / Partner	Joseph Aloysius Gallagher,   b. 21 Dec 1917, Binghamton, Broome County, New York, U.S.A.
  Marriage	say 1942
  Age at Marriage	She : ~ 22 years and 6 months - He : ~ 24 years.
  Children	1943 to 1950  [1, 2]
  1. Susan Gallagher (1943-____) 2. Patricia Anne Gallagher (1945-____) 3. Barbara Gallagher (1947-____) 4. Joseph Gallagher (1950-____) 5. Ruth Gallagher 6. John Gallagher
  Family ID	F9602	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
  Last Modified	2 Jul 2026

  
  

• Pedigree

  ← Click to display 1Ruth Dorothy Free(1919 – 1999) 2 3

  
  

• Event Map		Birth - 18 Jun 1919 - Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania, U.S.A. Census - 1920 - Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania, U.S.A. Census - 1930 - Marple Township, Delaware County, Pennsylvania, U.S.A. Census - 1940 - Upper Darby Township, Delaware County, Pennsylvania, U.S.A. Census - 1950 - Upper Darby Township, Delaware County, Pennsylvania, U.S.A. Death - 27 Mar 1999 - Bedminster Township, Bucks County, Pennsylvania, U.S.A. Burial - 31 Mar 1999 - Saint John Neumann Cemetery, Chalfont, Bucks County, Pennsylvania, U.S.A.  = Link to Google Earth
  Pin Legend	: Address       : Location       : City/Town       : County/Shire       : State/Province       : Country       : Not Set

  
  

• Sources 🟢 Primary Evidence 🟡 Secondary Evidence 🟠 Tertiary Evidence 🔴 Unreliable Evidence

  [S2574] Obituary of Ruth D. Gallagher, (Perkasie, Pennsylvania: The News Herald, 31 March 1999, page 4). [S2303] Bureau of the Census, 1950 U.S. Federal Census, (Provo, Utah: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 20212), National Archives at Washington, DC; Washington, D.C.; Seventeenth Census of the United States, 1950; Year: 1950; Census Place: Upper Darby, Delaware, Pennsylvania; Roll: 1401; Page: 39; Enumeration District: 23-304. [S101] Social Security Administration, Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007, (Provo, Utah: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2015). [S14] Ancestry.com, Find a Grave® Index, 1600s-Current® http://findagrave.com, (Lehi, Utah: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.), Memorial ID 156965985 Ruth Dorothy Free Gallagher . [S26] Bureau of the Census, 1920 U.S. Federal Census, (Provo, Utah: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2010), Year: 1920; Census Place: Philadelphia Ward 46, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Roll: T625_1647; Page: 19B; Enumeration District: 1768. [S20] Bureau of the Census, 1930 U.S. Federal Census, (Provo, Utah: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2002), Year: 1930; Census Place: Marple, Delaware, Pennsylvania; Page: 3A; Enumeration District: 0090; FHL microfilm: 2341766. [S21] Bureau of the Census, 1940 U.S. Federal Census, (Provo, Utah: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2012), Year: 1940; Census Place: Upper Darby, Delaware, Pennsylvania; Roll: m-t0627-03497; Page: 61A; Enumeration District: 23-196.