Ruby Blanche Willard, 1910-2001

Ruby Blanche Willard came into this world November 2, 1910. Her parents felt so blessed when they saw their little darling. They didn't think they needed any more. Ruby was perfect.

The Coleman Clan came up to Alberta from South of the border in covered Conestoga wagons. Ruby's grandparents settled in Nanton. She spent most of her childhood in her grandparent's home. Both of her parents were of Irish descent. She inherited their love of music and dancing was in her soul.

Life's circumstances left Ruby's mother a single parent. Iva was away a lot cooking on road construction crews with her father, brothers, and so left Ruby with her grandmother.

Ruby finished her schooling in North Edmonton. She and her mother then moved to the Kinuso and Faust area. Iva met and married Joe Mitchell, who was of the Cree Nation. Joe and Iva did not have any children together, so Ruby still longed for a family.

In the late 20s, Ruby met and fell in love with Alexander Huculak. He was a shoemaker turned fisherman. He came from the land of Poland to sweep off her feet.

Though Ruby was raised on the plains of Southern Alberta and learned to ride her grandfather's race horses at an early age; when she came north, she felt she had come home to the bush and she loved it.

In spite of the fact that Ruby's mother and grandmother and her aunts were excellent cooks and could all sew a fine seam, Ruby herself hated to cook. Her loves were books, poetry, gardening, flowers, making lists and then her greatest love her children. She loved doing her laundry, which was a good thing because there was plenty of it. She tells of washday in Faust when families bundled up their laundry and their washboards and went down to the lake. They made a fire to cook their meal of the day. It was a great community outing.

Being an only child made Ruby long for a big family. She said that she would like nine boys to start. At first it looked like she would get her wish when she was blessed with three sons in two and one half years, Ambarry Charles, Francis Murray and Richard. Later she was again blessed with two daughters, JudyAnn and Jane.

Ruby found herself raising her three boys alone through the great depression. Through those hard times, she learned about herself and her survival skills. She felt she had learned enough to survive a second one. After all, she had made a list.

One of the stories she tells that I appreciated the most showed her independence and ingenuity. There were no financial helpers in those days, so you did the best you could with what you had. Ruby had nothing but three hungry boys and a list. She wrote to the Salvation Army and asked for their best warm woolen overcoats. They were happy to comply. From the softer coats, she made pants and coats for her three boys. The rougher heavier ones she traded for a milk cow or a winter supply of firewood: sometimes potatoes, sometimes moose meat. Now they call this wonderful trading the barter system.

Ruby never got as far north as she wanted to go. The North Country called to her. The most precious treasure to her was the simplicity of a warm log cabin, plenty of wood, the wind howling around the eaves and the falling snow swirling about the heavy cabin door. And she curled up by the fire reading The Long Winter, by Laura Ingalls Wilder, which she did once a year. She felt if a book was worth reading the first time it became a friend you wanted to read often and stay acquainted with.

She loved the language of the homestead. She loved the winter snowmen, the hoarfrost on the tree branches, the patterns old Jack Frost left on her cabin window. She loved the taste of fresh cold water out of the hand pump at the wold well. She loved the sight of oat and wheat sheaves standing in rows in the field in the fall.

Ruby cared about the environment. She loved a marsh. This meant safety for the waterfowl and the site and sound of the red winged blackbirds swaying in the breeze as they rested on the marsh grasses. Ruby always knew what was going on in the world, from current events to the latest fashion. She always wore what suited her taste and she always remained feminine.

Tragedy was no stranger to Ruby. There was never a time when she laid the sorrows of her burdens on mortal man, she saved that for her times alone with God.

In spite of all the heartaches and disappointments Ruby still kept laughter and joy in her heart. They were her biggest assets.

Her legacy has been to encourage her children to serve a risen Saviour. She has succeeded. Ruby's loved ones await her as she comes into the presence of God, her mother, father, grandparents, aunts and uncles. Most recent and special are her children who await her coming with gladness, sons Ambarry and Francis and daughter Jane. All who really knew Ruby Blanche Willard will truly miss her.

Her remaining family will miss her as long as we live, her daughters JudyAnn and Josephine, son Richard, grandsons Gary, Charles, Dale and Jordan, great-grandchildren Courtney and Cassidy.