Obituary of Ruby White

Ruby Clara (Brown) White was born in May,1932 to her parents Johanna (Halvorsen) & Roman Brown. She was born on their homestead, a mile & a half south of Pontrilas, SK.  

Ruby had two brothers, Clarke & Irvine. Sadly, they lost their Dad to tuberculosis when they were ages 3, 4 & 5. Ruby was not just the only girl in her family but the “only granddaughter” in the entire Brown family clan! This made her extra special & the apple of her Grandad Brown’s eye! 

Ruby attended grade 1 at Armley school, south of their farm. She & her older brother changed to Pontrilas school when she started grade 2 & she completed her grade 10 there. Ruby & her brothers would drive their horse & cart to school & send it back home for the day. In the afternoon, their mother, Johanna would hitch the cart up to the horse & send it back into town to pick up Clarke, Ruby & Irvine after school. The family attended the Baptist Church in Pontrilas & Ruby also participated in the CGIT (Christian Girls in Training). Ruby & her girlfriends in CGIT enjoyed various fun activities as well as going on camping trips to Kipabiska Lake in the summertime.  

After completing her grade 10, Ruby worked at Bain’s Store in Pontrilas. She also did housework, cooked meals & baked pies for Jim & Irene Bain in their home, as well as helping take care of their four children.  

Ruby did housework for Webster & Eva Clayton as well as the Fulmers.  

Widower Alex Kingsley bribed Ruby to come work for him by promising to buy her driver’s license. He wanted her to help his housekeeper Lila Bryson with the chores, care for young Keith & drive meals to the field. Lila & Ruby had loads of fun working together. They were only supposed to butcher an old hen with red feathers to cook for a meal. One day they decided that they wanted to eat a young chicken…but the young ones had white feathers. To get around that, they took the young chicken & plucked it in the bush so Alex wouldn’t see the white feathers!  

Ruby did housework, milked cows & shovelled grain in the bins during harvest for Archie & Daphne Bowes. Her best friend Lona White trucked the grain into the yard while Archie combined. Archie always joked that his hired girl & his hired man slept together! 

Ruby also worked for Stan & Ros Copeland caring for Steve when he was a youngster. She recalls having to give him a spanking or two! 

During her teenage years, Ruby & her brothers would attend young people’s functions & conferences at Two Rivers Bible Institute near Carlea, SK.  This is where they met the White family.  Not only did Ruby & Lona become the best of friends but they became sisters-in-law when Ruby married Lona’s brother Norman White.   

Ruby & Norman married on a mild autumn day on Nov 12^th, 1953 in Pontrilas. It was such a lovely day, they had the receiving line outdoors.   

Ruby & Norman had a mixed farm just east of Armley, SK. They grew grain crops & raised chickens, turkeys, pigs & cows.  Every morning & evening Mom helped Dad milk the cows, sometimes as many as 6 cows.  She separated the milk & shipped the cream, using her cream cheques to buy groceries.   

Mom took pride in her flowerbeds & worked hard each summer growing a huge vegetable garden along with raspberry & strawberry patches.  She picked wild saskatoon berries & also highbush cranberries to make her famous cranberry ketchup.  She loved to go on blueberry picking adventures with her friends Vicki, Alma & Dorie.  She preserved pickles, jams, jellies, syrups & canned fruits.  And… she baked…and baked…and baked…!  Who hasn’t had a slice of her homemade bread or a bun, fresh out of the oven?!  Then there were the donuts, butterhorns, cinnamon rolls & tea rings, the pies, cakes, muffins & cookies.  She always had goodies on hand to serve family & friends whenever they dropped in for coffee!  If it was mealtime, extra plates were put on the table!  Mom & Dad’s home was always open to everyone!  They were the Queen & King of Hospitality! Back in the 1960s Mom & Dad started hosting New Years Eve parties for family, friends & neighbors. Good times were had, playing board games, musical instruments, sharing yummy, sweet treats & ringing in the New Year banging pots & pans!! They continued to host these parties even after they moved to town. 

Mom was very gifted at writing poetry. She wrote many, many poems over the years for birthdays, anniversaries & just because! Often times her annual Christmas letter was in poetry form. 

Mom & Dad had the proverbial “million-dollar family”: a daughter Barbara & a son Lorrie.  As the years passed by, the family grew with a son-in-law Neil & daughter-in-law Irene. Mom took great pride & pleasure in the grandchildren & great grandchildren that followed.   

In the fall of 2018, Mom & Dad moved off their beloved farm to enjoy their sunset years at Aspen Grove in Nipawin, SK.   

Mom had a strong faith in God, trusting Jesus as her Savior since her childhood & serving Him in her church & community throughout her lifetime. She, along with Dad have left us with a godly heritage for which we are very thankful.   

Ruby is predeceased by: 
- her parents, grandparents, father-in-law & mother-in-law 
- brothers: Clarke Brown & Irvine Brown 
- in-laws: Doreen & Alfred Fuchs, Lona Brown, Walter White, Sherlotte & William Tuck 
- husband Norman White in 2020 
- daughter-in-law Irene White in 2021 
- son-in-law Neil Hildebrandt in 2022 
- nephew Matthew Gustafson in 2022 
- many aunts, uncles & cousins 

Ruby leaves to cherish her memory: 
- daughter Barbara Hildebrandt 
- son Lorrie White 

-grandchildren & [great-grandchildren]: 
Kimberly & Les Adrian  [Nevaeh, Levaeh, Miah, Liam] 
Mitchell & Genevieve Hildebrandt [Jairus, Zariah, Mabon, Damari, Theo] 
Kent & Tanya White [River, Brynlee] 
Mandy & Daniel Thiessen 
- many cousins including special cousin Eileen Rowswell  
-many nieces & nephews including Arlie & Michelle Knelson  
-double nieces: 
-Betty & (Ron) Gustafson: Pamela & (Robert) Clearwater & family 
-Debby & (John) Kenna: Angela & (Brent) Traxel, Amy & (Bobby) Armstrong, Brittany Groves & families