Ruby A. Wallerstedt Obituary

Ruby A. Wallerstedt

Ruby Arlene Wallerstedt was born October 1, 1914 in a tiny rural community of Boxholm, IA where she lived with her parents and her brother. The family moved to Des Moines, IA for a few years, but jobs were scarce so they returned to Boxholm when she was about 10 years old. She always enjoyed her high school years, and made many lifetime friends.

When she was 21, she suffered a severe illness, which prompted their doctor to recommend she live in a milder climate. This was just the excuse her father needed to move to California. They had friends, who lived in Riverside, CA and that is where they settled in1936.

Being a Lutheran family, they joined Eden Lutheran Church, where Ruby was a member of over 50 years.

Ruby said that the proudest years of her life were the two she spent in the Navy, serving her country. She took her Basic Training at Hunter College in New York during the war, and then was on the staff at Camp Elliott in San Diego, and lastly at the U.S. Naval Hospital in Norco from where she retired. She always said she could recall the thrill she felt when she first saluted the flag in uniform.

Upon her discharge in 1945, she was able to enroll in Riverside City College on the GI Bill. Using her Navy experience, she continued in Federal Service for 26 years as a Government Illustrator.

Ruby faithfully took care of her ailing mother for 21 years. Ruby has always been very artistic, so she took Art from the Norman Rockwell Art School. She had adorned the walls of her apartment with many oil paintings, watercolors, scratchboard, and manuscript lettering art.

With a cousin, she traveled all over Europe on guided tours three times. Ruby learned to play piano as a young child, and she later played the organ very well. In her later years, she had some serious back and hip operations, but she always bounced back, even though she ended up in a wheel chair.

In April of 2004, Ruby decided to leave California and move to Chippewa Falls, WI, so she could be closer to family. She lived in her own apartment at Chippewa Manor, and made many new friends. She had limited mobility and eyesight, but always tried to keep involved with games and music. She even had begun to sing solos at the music gatherings. In her last month, she had fallen and badly broken her arm, but she was looking forward to getting back to her apartment so she could be independent again. She always said she had lived a long life, but was ready to go home. She will be lovingly missed.

Ruby Arlene Wallerstedt was born October 1, 1914, in Boxholm, IA and died October 6, 2007 in Eau Claire, WI. Her parents were Ed Wallerstedt and Hulda Landberg. She had one brother, Leovard Wallerstedt, and on brother, Elmer, who died as an infant. She was preceded in death by both parents, both brothers, and one niece Sharon Stageberg. One niece, Rebecca Anderson and her family, and niece Sharon Stageberg's family survive her.

Friends may offer condolences online at www.fullerspeckien.com.

Memorial services took place on Saturday, October 13, 2007. Burial of ashes will be in the Prairie Lawn Cemetery in Boxholm, IA at a later date. Fuller-Speckien-Hulke Funeral Home, 3209 Rudolph Rd., Eau Claire, WI 54701 assisted the family with the arrangements.