Ruth passed away quietly and peacefully -- pretty much how she lived her entire life -- on the early morning of September 7, 2020, 5:15 a.m. Pacific Time, in a nursing home in Portland, OR.
Born on September 13, 1927, she was just one week short of her 93rd birthday. She was never ill with Covid despite high rates of the disease in calendar year 2020.
After her last child left home, Ruth started spending more and more time at her beloved home on Flathead Lake, on Lakeshore Drive, with an unobstructed view of the lake, and the Mission Mountains on the other side of the lake.
Between 1982 and 2004, Mom had not less than four homes often concurrently:
- Sioux Falls, SD: townhouse
- West Fargo, ND: apartment
- Williston, ND: family home
- Lakeside, MT: summer home
By 2015, Ruth had pretty much stopped her cross-country traveling and resided pretty-much permanently in Montana. That year, her youngest daughter, who watched Ruth as closely as Ruth had watched her own six children grow up, noted that mom really couldn't live out at the lake any more on her own.
With a bit of coaxing, Jan was able to get Ruth to a wonderful nursing home in Portland, OR, where Ruth would be close to Jan and her family, and close to Laura and Tim, one of Ruth's granddaughters and her family.
Between 2015 and 2020, Mom's mind continued to deteriorate but she never completely lost all her memory for her children.
Ruth had minimal physical problems throughout her life, never requiring any major medical care. She took care of herself physically and, with her nursing background, knew what to "watch out for." Around 2016 a biopsy revealed a very slow-growing lymphoma in her right axilla. Mom was about 90 years old at the time and the decision was made to leave the lymphoma alone. Ruth made it clearly known she did not want any further medical intervention regarding that small tumor.
Over time, the tumor grew in size, obstructing lymphatic return, resulting in a swollen right arm.
She received outstanding nursing care at the nursing home and there were days when she was doing mentally and physically very, very well, but in general, slowing down.
She was placed in hospice care at one time but improved and was discharged back to her regular retirement home status.
Sometime in early 2020, she was placed back in hospice care due to her general physical and medical condition.
In early September, 2020, it was clear to the nursing staff that Ruth might not be with us much longer, but as usual, Mom's history suggested she might surprise all of us.
On Labor Day weekend, Sunday, September 6, 2020, Ruth's hospice nurse telephoned Jan suggesting that Jan might want to see her mom. Jan could see this might be the last time her brother and sisters might get a chance to talk to Mom, so she called each of her siblings who in turn talked with Mom one last time.
Jan said that Mom did smile when reminded that September was her birthday month and that she had celebrated many birthdays.
One daughter spoke of the weather, a subject mom always turned to when she wanted the conversation to change direction. No doubt, speaking of the weather was a most common activity when she was growing up on the farm in northwest Iowa.
During the night of September 6 - 7, 2020, the nursing staff checked in on mom hourly. At four a.m. she was sleeping peacefully and comfortably. At five-twenty a.m. when they came in to check her, she was found unresponsive. Official time of death will be recorded as 5:15 a.m. Pacific Time, September 7, 2020.
Funeral arrangements are pending. A memorial service will be planned for a later date so we have time to reflect on all that Mom did for us.
Ruth's husband, Carl, passed away in 2018; one of her six children, Craig, died way too soon, in 2011, as did one of her granddaughters, Kallie Ann, Yvonne and Terry's third child.
Her other five children -- Jan, Kathy, Karla, Yvonne, and Bruce -- are all in good health; spread across the United States, all with healthy children of their own, and several great-grandchildren.
If you do want to send a card to the family, it would probably be easiest to send your thoughts to the family through Jan:
Jan Greenwald
292 Lakeshore Drive
Lakeside, MT 59922
Nursing Program, Sioux City, Iowa
Age 97
Pennsylvania
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