Carmen (Ruel) Hetzler

Carmen Hetzler, beloved wife and mother, 75, of Canal Winchester, Ohio passed into her loving savior’s arms peacefully on September 16, 2024, after her long 13-year battle with Multiple Myeloma cancer.

She was a friend to all and her kindness knew no boundaries.

Survived by her husband of 52 years Gary L. Hetzler, two children: Misty (David) Green, of Noblesville, Indiana and Brandon (Natalie) Hetzler of Pickerington, Ohio; three grandchildren: Emma and Mia Hetzler and Evie Green; a sister, Gloria Herrera (Alfonso Obregon) and a brother Adolfo “Tito” (Connie) Ruel; and many cousins, nephews and nieces.

She was born on September 27, 1948 in Cotulla, Texas to Adolfo and Alicia Ruel.  She was a graduate of Dilley High School (TX) in 1967.  Always willing to work hard and better herself, she completed a course of study at Durham College in San Antonio, Texas in IBM machine operation and briefly attended business school.  She then worked as a telephone operator for Southwestern Bell in San Antonio.  While working in San Antonio, she met and began dating Gary Hetzler (stationed at Kelley AFB) in April of 1971.  They married December 4, 1971.  She continued at Southwestern Bell until June of 1972 when they moved to Gary’s home town of Xenia, Ohio.  She was able to continue her operator career at Ohio Bell.  They bought their first home in Jamestown, Ohio at a lake development and their daughter Misty was born (1974) and son Brandon (1977).  It was through the ministry of Bethel Missionary Church that she gave her life to the Lord.

In 1982, the family moved to Plano, Illinois.  She made friends easily volunteering at the school and working as a receptionist in a dental office.  Her friends even talked her into taking a seasonal job at a Dekalb Seed Corn operation sorting “male corn from female corn”. Interesting job!

After 5 years they returned to Ohio settling near Lancaster and she worked for 2 years at Grant Medical Center in Columbus, Ohio.  Her next position was as an intake specialist at the WIC (Women, Infants and Children) program in Lancaster and she worked there 20 years until she was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma and kidney failure in 2011.

Carmen was rarely angry and very loving-SHE WAS A FIGHTER!  She underwent chemo twice a week and dialysis three times a week for 6 months until a stem cell transplant using her own stem cells was completed.  She went into remission and began a bi-weekly mild chemo maintenance program which proved to be successful.  Her next hurdle was the damage done to her kidneys from the cancer and in 2015 her kidneys began failing again.  She faced dialysis for life or find a kidney donor.  God provided!  After starting a search for a donor, it was discovered that she and Gary had the same blood type.  More testing revealed a match and in June of 2015 she received Gary’s kidney and was deemed in remission by doctors.  She was blessed with many great doctors in multiple medical practices through this journey.

In 2013 and 2015 God granted her 2 more beautiful granddaughters.  She continued to enjoy granddaughters, vacations, gardening, church functions, decorating her home and hosting friends for the next 7 years until her monthly maintenance chemo started to lose its effectiveness and her cancer returned with a mighty roar.  Massive amounts of chemo killed the cancer but wiped her immune system.  Her oncologist recommended another stem cell transplant with her extra stored cells from the initial transplant.  That happened in September of 2023, but only lasted until December 2023.  A new regimen of 6 chemo injections was started in January 2024 with complications that kept her in the hospital for 37 days.  After that failed, she was told there were only one or two more options, but they had difficult side effects.  She said, “I’m willing to try, let’s do it”.  She battled through two different sets of 10-day intense chemo sessions, but on September 6th she was told the cancer had taken over and she was out of options.  All along she had said that God had a plan for all of us and that she was ready for whatever He had planned.  II Timothy 4: 6-8.

She passed very peacefully on the evening of September 16, 2024.  The hospice nurse said she wished all her patients could be so calm, peaceful and pain free as she was in her last 20 hours.  God is good!

Visitation is Friday, September 20, 2024 at Greencastle Bible Church, 2940 Amanda-Northern Road. NW, Carroll, Ohio 43112 from 3-7 p.m.

Graveside services/burial on Saturday, September 21, 2024 at the New Silvercreek Cemetery in Jamestown, Ohio on State Route 72, one mile east of Jamestown at 11:00 a.m.

A Celebration of Life service will be held on September 28, 2024 at Greencastle Bible Church at 4:00 p.m.

If you would like to make a donation in Carmen’s name, please consider these organizations:

The Leukemia, Lymphoma Society (LLC)

Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation (MMRF)