RUBY IOLA AMICK MINOR
RUBY IOLA AMICK WAS BORN ON OCTOBER 6, 1918 IN BLOCKTON, IOWA TO MYRTLE RICHARDSON AMICK AND EDWARD AMICK. HER PARENTS WERE DAIRY FARMERS. SHE GREW UP IN BLOCKTON ATTENDING BLOCKTON COMMUNITY HIGH SCHOOL FROM WHICH SHE WAS GRADUATED IN 1936. AFTER GRADUATION SHE ATTENDED BUSINESS COLLEGE IN DES MOINES AND FOLLOWING COMPLETION OF HER COURSES WORKED FOR THE STONER PIANO COMPANY IN DES MOINES.
ON FEBRUARY 8, 1942 RUBY WAS UNITED IN MARRIAGE TO RUE K. MINOR, WHO AT THAT TIME WAS IN THE ARMY AIR CORP. STATIONED IN FORT LEAVENWORTH, KS. WHEN RUE WENT OVERSEAS DURING WWII, RUBY MOVED BACK TO BLOCKTON WHERE SHE ALONG WITH HER AUNT FRONA TOOK CARE OF HER SISTER WHO WAS ILL WITH MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS AND COOKED AND KEPT HOUSE FOR HER FATHER.
TWO CHILDREN WERE BORN TO THIS UNION. PATRICIA ANN AND MARILYN KAY. RUBY HELPED RUE BY BEING BOOKKEEPER WHEN HE RAN MINOR OIL COMPANY AND LATER TOGETHER THEY OPERATED TWO LAUNDROMATS, ONE IN BLOCKTON AND ONE IN BEDFORD. RUBY ALSO HELPED CLERK SOME AUCTIONS IN THE BLOCKTON AREA.
RUBY LOVED WORKING IN THE YARD AND TENDING TO HER STUNNING FLOWER GARDEN. PEOPLE OFTEN CAME FROM ALL OVER THE STATE TO VIEW HER OVER 200 LABELED VARIETIES OF IRISES. SHE AND RUE ALSO GREW A LARGE GARDEN OF FRUITS AND VEGETABLES WHICH PROVIDED WONDERFUL CANNED AND FROZEN FOOD FOR THE FAMILY’S ENJOYMENT FOR MANY YEARS. RUBY WAS ALSO NOTED FOR HER BEAUTIFUL HOMEMADE BABY AFGHANS, QUILTS AND DELICIOUS HOMEMADE PIES. OF SPECIAL DELIGHT TO HER FAMILY WERE THE BLACK RASPBERRY PIES MADE FROM HOMEGROWN FRUIT.
RUBY, ALTHOUGH RETICENT TO PLAY FOR ANYONE OTHER THAN IMMEDIATE FAMILY, ENTERTAINED AND TAUGHT HER DAUGHTERS A LOVE OF MUSIC BY PLAYING THE PIANO. SHE WASN’T ONE TO JOIN CLUBS OR BE ESPECIALLY SOCIAL, PREFERRING INSTEAD TO BE A LOVING MOTHER AND HOMEMAKER FOR HER FAMILY. HER HOME WAS ALWAYS WELCOMING TO FAMILY AND HER CHILDREN’S FRIENDS AND WAS OFTEN A SECOND HOME TO THEIR SPECIAL FRIENDS PHYLLIS RUSCO AND MARILYN LANDIS.
WHEN RUE AND RUBY’S HEALTH NO LONGER PERMITTED THEM TO KEEP THE HOUSE AND GROUNDS IN BLOCKTON, THEY MOVED TO QUIET HARBOR ESTATES IN CRESTON TO BE CLOSER TO THE HOSPITAL AND THEIR DOCTORS. THERE THEY MADE MANY NEW FRIENDS SUCH AS BUD AND KAYE BRECKENRIDGE. HOWEVER BLOCKTON HAS BEEN AND WILL ALWAYS REMAIN TO THE FAMILY “HOME”.
AFTER RUE’S PASSING IN 2001 RUBY MOVED TO MINNESOTA WHERE SHE WOULD BE CLOSER TO DAUGHTER, MARILYN AND HER FAMILY AND SHE RESIDED THERE UNTIL HER DEATH ON FEBRUARY 19, 2008.
PRECEDING RUBY IN DEATH WERE HER PARENTS; SISTER, OPAL; HALF SISTER, VERA CAMPBELL AND HUSBAND, RUE.
LEFT TO CHERISH THE MANY GOOD MEMORIES ARE DAUGHTER PATRICIA LARCERI AND HUSBAND VITO OF GRANT, FLORIDA; DAUGHTER MARILYN AND HUSBAND MICHAEL OF BLOOMINGTON, MINNESOTA; GRANDCHILDREN KATRINA AND ALEX WIEBE OF MINNESOTA; GREAT-GRANDSON WARREN SANDERS OF MINNESOTA; SISTER-IN-LAW LEONA KLEPINGER OF MARSHALLTOWN, IOWA; BROTHER-IN-LAW DWIGHT MINOR AND WIFE THELMA OF RATHBURN, IOWA; SISTER-IN-LAW BETTY MINOR OF CLARINDA, IOWA; SISTER-IN-LAW EDNA MINOR OF HAMLIN, TX. AND NIECES, NEPHEWS AND COUSINS. ALSO LEFT TO CHERISH HER FRIENDSHIP AND MEMORY ARE PHYLLIS RUSCO POORE AND KAYE BRECKENRIDGE.
SERVICES WERE CONDUCTED AT WILSON-WATSON & ARMSTRONG FUNERAL HOME IN MOUNT AYR ON SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2008, WITH REV. SCOTT MARCUM OFFICIATING. MUSICIANS WERE NANCY SACKETT AND JUDY CUNNING.
CASKET BEARERS WERE MICHAEL WIEBE, VITO LARCERI, ALEX WIEBE, EARL DRAKE, JERRY KEMERY AND WAYNE KEMERY.
RUBY WAS LAID TO REST IN THE ROSE HILL CEMETERY IN BLOCKTON.
